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THE STURGEON Sturgeons are fish of the Family Acipenseridae. The toothless sturgeon is one of the few surviving bony fish (the bones are soft and cartilaginous) which have retained their prehistoric appearance. Because their unique skeletal structure has distinct longitudinal bony plates on the outside, they have no bones in the flesh - a characteristic that gourmets welcome. There are twenty-four existing sturgeon species worldwide. Five of them live in the Caspian Sea, and only three supply caviar. The three species of sturgeon that supply caviar are the Beluga, the Osetra, and the Sevruga..
BELUGA (HUSO HUSO)The Beluga is believed to have remained unchanged for the past 120 million years. It is one of the oldest and most amazing survivors of the Dinosaur Era. This giant amongst sturgeon, also respectfully known among fishermen as the "elephant fish," is up to 20 feet (900cm) and can weigh up to3,300 pounds (1,500 kilograms), and the roe can account for up to 15% of its bodyweight.
OSETRA ( ACIPENSER GUELDENSTAEDTII COLCHICUS) - also known as Asetra, Oscetra, Ossetra, and OssetrovaThis is a migratory fish, which spawns in the spring in rivers, and can weigh up to 500 pounds and 10 feet in length.This medium-sized sturgeon probes the sea bed with a projecting,elongated snout.. It is equipped to vacuum up plants and small forms of sea life.Osetra caviar is dark brown-gray to golden yellow. It is the onlyvariety of caviar with a unique nutty flavor.
SEVRUGA (ACIPENSER STELLATUS) Sevruga can be up to 7 feet, it can weigh up to 150 pounds It is found in the Caspian and the Black Sea, although it has also occasionally been sighted in other waters. The Sevruga is small, and it has a pointed snout with an upward tilt. The diamond-shaped exoskeletal plates are the most distinct in this species of sturgeon.Sevruga caviar, the smallest, is greenish black and fine-grained
PREPARATION OF CAVIAR Fresh-grained caviar is prepared from the full roe of the female sturgeon. The sturgeons are caught in nets and taken back to the fishery laboratory alive. There, they are clubbed and anesthetized, not killed, and the egg pockets are emptied. The fishermen carefully anesthetize the fish by hitting them at a specific spot below the head. The roe must be taken while the fish are still alive. If the fish experience the stress of death, they release a chemical into the eggs that spoils the caviar by making it bitter.
.When beluga roe is taken from the fish to make the highest graded caviar, it is processed manually. The fish are placed on a coarse mesh screen spread across a wooden tub. The roe is removed by splitting the underside of the sturgeon with a sharp knife. Then the roe bags (filmy sacs containing the eggs) are broken by whipping them with birch switches. The freed roe is then passed over screens with varying-sized mesh to grade the eggs according to size.
The roe is rubbed through the screens with the palm of the hand for optimum control. The process also separates the eggs from binding tissue. During the process, the eggs drop into a tub below the mesh screens. After a portion of the eggs has been collected in the tub, it is transferred to a bucket and the process is repeated. Considerable care must be taken in rubbing the eggs through the screens, since bruising them results in a lower grade of caviar.When all of the eggs have been collected, they are put into a tub and dry salt is added. The salt is thoroughly mixed with the roe.
The eggs are then placed in a fine mesh screen to drain.The caviar is packed in tin, glass or porcelain containers equipped with tight-fitting covers. It is then ready to eat or store under refrigeration.
The term for top quality caviar is the word Malossol-- meaning "little salt" in Russian. After being graded for size and color by experts, the caviar is salted in order to keep it fresh. It is "cured" in a sea salt brine, where the trick - and experience counts - is knowing just how to mix the brine and just how long to leave the eggs in it. All first grade caviar will be marked "Malossol," with a general range between 2% and 6% sea salt
BELUGA - The rarest of all sturgeon caviars. Beluga is the largest of the sturgeon fish and produces a pearly caviar which has an extraordinary slightly fruity, buttery taste. It is the largest grained (3 -4 mm) of the sturgeon caviars and the color range is from light pearly to dark steel gray.
Osetr caviar is considered by some connoisseurs to be the best. The eggs are medium-sized (3 mm), golden yellow to dark brown and quite oily a with nutty flavor A medium grained caviar produced by a mid-sized variety of sturgeon.
Sevruga caviar is the smallest in grain with diameter of 2-2.5 mm, and the strongest flavor among all varieties of caviar. Is greenish black in colour
RUSSIAN IMPERIAL CAVIARRussian Imperial Caviar is one of the rarest caviars. This caviar from albino or white sturgeon is highly coveted for its golden grains that possess an earthy, nutty and fruity flavor. The color of Imperial Caviar may vary from golden to greenish.
World's most expensive caviar is called ALMAS (Russian for Diamond). This Beluga caviar is WHITE in appearance. The caviar comes from the fish which is over 100 years old. As a general rule, the lighter the color of Beluga Caviar the older is the fish and the more elegant and exquisite is the flavor. Almas is extremely rare and extremely expensive. Caviar House ALMAS Iranian Caviar (pictured) is packed in 24K gold tin and is sold for an amazing price of 14,705.00 British Pounds (about Rs10,95,476) per 1 kg. (35 oz.)
PRESSED CAVIAR Processed caviar is made from Osetra and Sevruga roes. The eggs are cleaned, packed in linen bags and hung to drain; as salt and moisture drain away, the natural shape of the eggs is destroyed and the eggs are pressed together. Approximately 3 pounds (1.3 kilograms) of roe produce only 1 pound (450 grams) of pressed caviar; pressed caviar has a spreadable, jam like consistency.
AMERICAN STURGEON CAVIAR • Is not considered to be of the same quality as Russian or Iranian caviars; nevertheless, roe from sturgeon harvested in the coastal waters of the American northwest and the Tennessee River is becoming increasingly popular, due in part to its relatively low price.
AMERICAN STURGEON CAVIARSturgeon caviar is dark, of medium size and has a sweet, buttery, nut-like flavor. The Sturgeon caviar is comparable in color and flavor, to Caspian Osetra Caviar.
AMERICAN SALMON CAVIARAlaskan salmon, known worldwide, travel to the sea after hatching and later return to their native fresh water rivers to spawn. They produce large red eggs because of that time spent in salt water and the diet it provides. Chinook and Coho salmon were also transplanted from the Pacific Northwest to the Great Lakes some 30 years ago. These hatchery-raised fish produce large orange eggs due to their exclusive freshwater diet while retaining the intense salmon flavor
AMERICAN PADDLEFISH CAVIARAmerican Paddlefish, often called "Spoonbills," are a cousin to sturgeons and yield roe ranging in color from pale through dark steel-grey and golden "osetra brown". • The caviar is smooth and silky with a rich flavor.
AMERICAN GOLDEN WHITEFISH CAVIARWhitefish is another salmon type specie native to the Great Lakes. Crisp sparkling yellow eggs burst with fresh flavor. The naturally mild taste lends itself well to the flavor-infusions and smoking processes.
BOWFIN CAVIARBowfin - (Amia Calva), better known by its Cajun name "Choupique" is not related to, but is even more ancient than the sturgeons. This bony fish yields a black roe with a distinctive flavor and makes a good, less expensive substitute for sturgeon caviar. (Unlike sturgeon, bowfin roe will turn red if heated.)
LUMPFISH CAVIAR • Is readily available and reasonably priced; it is produced from lumpfish harvested in the North Atlantic. The small and very crisp eggs are dyed black, red or gold; the food coloring is not stable, however and when used on garnish foods, colored lumpfish caviar tends to bleed.
NUTRITION INFO FOR CAVIARCaviar is a fully energetic product. It is highly appreciated for its components: Protein Fat Sugar Vitamins and Mineral Salts, Water. The nutritional value of each 100 grams of caviar is 2800 kilo calories. The proteins available in the caviar are: Arginine, Histamine, Isoleucine, Lysine and Methionine. The fat in caviar is composed of cholesterol (25%) and Lecithin (75%). Caviar contains significant amount of following vitamins: A, C, , B2, B6 and B12. Caviar is also rich in follicular acids. For hundreds of years this pearl of the sea has been known and appreciated for the goodness it contains.
SERVING CAVIARCaviar should be served with Crème Fraiche or good sour cream on original BLINI or freshly made toast points and accompanied by good Champagne. Caviar should be placed on ice when it is served, which will keep it at lower than room temperature for optimal taste. If removing the caviar from the original container before serving use "Mother of Pearl" caviar spoon or gold plated utensil. Do not use silver spoon as it affects the taste of the product. On the table caviar should be presented in a caviar- service set but it is acceptable to use a plain glass jar, ceramic jar or even retail container it came in.
PROPER CAVIAR STORAGE - REFRIGERATE BUT NEVER FREEZE!Once caviar has been frozen and then thawed out, the roe will have burst, the product will have become mushy, and the quality will have deteriorated to the lowest grade. In order to avoid having the caviar berries burst, caviar must be refrigerated at 28 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit ( -2 to 0 Celsius).
