Many of us have heard about caviar or seen it but very few of us have tried it. Let’s find out what caviar is and the reason for caviar being so popular and expensive.
Caviar
Caviar is known as one of the world’s most costly food. It is one of the most luxurious food. It costs around $35,000 per kilogram which is out of reach for most of the population.
Caviar is known to be fish eggs. These are salt-cured eggs that are obtained mainly from sturgeon fish. Caviar is unique in its appearance, color, and taste which has made many others in love with it.
Nowadays there are multiple types of caviar coming from different species of sturgeon fish. The main region of getting sturgeon fish is Russia and the United States. The very first caviar was found in a wild fish species in the Caspian Sea.
Types of Caviar
There are three types of caviar. These are Ossetra, Beluga, and Sevruga sturgeon. Among these, the most famous and expensive one is Beluga caviar.
The place where best Caviar comes from
The best quality caviars are obtained from the Caspian Sea that provides Beluga, Osetra, and Sevruga sturgeon. For many years Russian and Iran had been producing caviar. Today China has become a large exporter of caviar.
Taste of caviar
To be frank with you caviar is not that type of food you would like in the first impression. But in fact, you will start loving it after taking three to four bites of it.
The taste of caviar is salty more like oyster juice. The best form of caviar is the one with less salt and juicy which makes it very fresh.
Along with its taste caviar is costly for its texture too. The eggs burst into the mouth giving the taste of a flavored liquid.
How to eat caviar
- Caviar is like a significant piece of a statement in the culinary world.
- It can be eaten in different ways.
- Traditionally it is eaten with cold vodka or champagne. It is either eaten directly with a spoon or served with toast, potatoes, and Russian pancakes.
- It is also served in a chilled form on a layer of ice. It is eaten with a special spoon made of bone material or pearl because when it is eaten with a metal spoon it changes the taste of caviar.
- It is also served as an appetizer.
- It is also combined with other foods making it more flavorful in every bite. It is often mixed in cream thus giving the burst of eggs a creamy texture.
The reason behind caviar being so expensive
The wild sturgeon that has been harvested for a long are now endangered. The capturing of wild sturgeon is illegal and to fulfill the demand of it their natural habitat is being destroyed which has made them an endangered species.
The sturgeon travel and migrate at long distances to lay their eggs. Therefore to find quality sturgeon is difficult to find which makes them even more expensive.
Some facts about caviar
The lifetime of Caviar
- The sturgeon are known to produce millions of eggs at a single time and among those eggs, a maximum of about 2 eggs reach adulthood.
Caviar as a pleasure
- Caviar had been a popular delicacy even before champagne and oysters became a common pleasure. In the old times the Russian, Greek, and Roman people often indulge themselves in caviar wonders.
It is the oldest delicacies
- Since 1100 BC the sturgeon fish has been hunted for its meat and eggs by the Romans and Greek.
- One of the interesting facts about caviar is that it’s evolution dates back to 245 to 208 million years ago. Hence caviar is as old as dinosaurs.
The most expensive caviar
- One of the most expensive caviar is Beluga Sturgeon which comes from Iran. The cost of its one Kg is about 20,000 Euro. The age of this fish is between 60 to 100 years.
Nutrients that are present in caviar
- It is a natural exquisiteness containing multiple nutrients in it such as protein, amino acids, iron, and vitamin B12
It was used as a treatment for depression
- Caviar also helps in alleviating the signs of depression. Caviar is known to have an increased percentage of omega-3’s in it. Research has shown that the intake of high doses of omega-3 assists in lowering the level of depression.
Tobiko and caviar are different foods
- The red beans you often see in sushi are tobiko and not caviar. In some regions of the world, tobiko is sold as sturgeon caviar but actually, it is not.
The color, flavor, and texture determines the quality of sturgeon caviar
- The expensive caviars are distinguished by their light color, older age, larger eggs, flavor, and texture.
Can be stored for a long period
- Caviar’s can be stored for a long period if kept under the right conditions.
Caviar is a National Day
- Another amazing fact is of National Caviar Day that is celebrated on the 18th of July.
It tastes like any metallic surface
- While eating caviar special attention is given to the material of the dish because when caviar touches the metallic surface it tastes it in itself.
It can be put on with any food you would like to eat
- It can be used with all sorts of food. Puffy pancakes are also made with them. People also spread caviar on baked potatoes in fact from pizza to sandwiches people like to spread it on anything they like.
When rubbed it makes noise
- The eggs of sturgeon fish also make noise when rubbed together. Sounds interesting right?
Although caviar varies in its quality when it is packaged for processing it produces a sound similar to a purring cat.
The demand for caviar has never been less. However, in some countries, it has been restricted due to the danger of its extinction.