|
It is the processed, salted roe of various species of fish, most notably sturgeon. It is commercially marketed throughout the world as a delicacy and is eaten principally as a garnish or spread, as with hors d'oeuvres. The name caviar comes from the Persian word (Khag-avar) which means "the roe-generator". This name in Persian is actually used to denote the sturgeon itself and its product, the roe.
Today the best caviars comes from sturgeon fished from the Caspian Sea by Iran and Russia. Some of the highest prices are paid for Beluga, Ossetra, and Sevruga varieties (note that the large-grained Beluga caviar comes from the Beluga sturgeon and has nothing to do with the Beluga whale). The rare, golden Sterlet caviar was once the favorite of czars, shahs and emperors, but the species is now nearly extinct. Dwindling yields due to overfishing and pollution have resulted in less costly cavair alternatives, processed from the roe of whitefish and North Atlantic salmon, becoming popular. The word "malossol" on the label means "little salt" in Russian, and indicates that it has been processed with a minimum amount of salt.
In the early 1900s, both Canada and the United States were major suppliers of caviar to Europe, harvesting the eggs from Lake sturgeon in the midwest and from Shortnose sturgeon and Atlantic sturgeon that spawned in East coast rivers. However, today the Shortnose sturgeon is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of endangered species and as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
In recent years the aquaculture of sturgeon has been increasing, especially in France, Uruguay and Southern California. In recent years paddlefish and hackleback caviar have gained in popularity. These lower priced caviars are also from the sturgeon family. Recently the amount of allowed wild cavar harvesting is being reduced, driving the price upward.
Beluga caviar consists of the roe (or eggs) of the Beluga sturgeon found only in the Caspian Sea. This fish is currently considered to be endangered, causing the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to ban the importation of Beluga caviar. Beluga is also the most expensive of caviars.
The Beluga sturgeon can take up to 20 years to reach maturity. The fish harvested for caviar are often nearly 2000 pounds. The eggs themselves are the largest of the commonly used roes, and range in color from light blue to black, with the lighter colors coming from older fish, and being the highest valued. Any additions by producers diminish the value of the roe, and the caviar usually reaches the market without any additions or processing whatsoever. Most people also find a good bit of acidity and/or sweetness in the flavor as well.
As with most caviars, Beluga is usually handled with a spoon made of mother of pearl, bone, or other non-metallic material, as metal utensils tend to impart an unwelcome metallic taste to the delicate and expensive roe. This caviar, as with most others is traditionally served in a variety of ways, including hollowed and cooked new potatoes, or on toast points or a blini. These are served with either sour cream or crème fraîche. Additional serving options are minced onion or minced hard boiled egg whites. The higher grade caviars, including Beluga, usually need very little embellishment.
Also see:
Black Sea
Caspian Sea
• Blue Crabs Get No Respect
•
Seafood
Market : Buy fresh seafoods online.
This article is licensed under the GNU
Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia
article "Caviar". |
