Where Does Caviar Come From? Remarkable Facts On Luxury Fish Food

The seafood industry is one of the fastest-growing food markets and sea farming has emerged to be a very producing and promising industry.

Caviar, which is also known as caviare, comes from Persia and translates to 'egg-bearing.' Caviar production is not a new term in the luxury food industry.

The entire business involving caviar is considered Critically Endangered, as the fish it comes from is considered to be an Endangered species around the world. The caviar industry thrives on the lavishness of the particular type of caviar that is being served. Caviar is a food composed of fish eggs from a specific species of sturgeon fish out of the Acipenseridae family. This species was originally processed and deported by Russian and Iranian producers, and now has been banned. The methods used by Russia and Iran required killing the sturgeon in order to produce quality caviar. As the production of these eggs is under the trade in Endangered species, various steps are now taken to ensure any kind of egg harvesting remains non-lethal.

Different species of sturgeon are used in the harvesting of the fish eggs, which is also known as roe. Because caviar is a luxury food, the specific texture is very important; it must be buttery with a hint of salt. Traditional or classically produced caviar is considered a delicacy and is generally eaten as a garnish or spread that is served cold. This caviar comes from wild or white sturgeon, but some varieties are found in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. Many factors depend on the country in which this delicacy is being produced, as their overall flavor relies highly on the farms from where they are harvested. Some farms even process roe from other fishes like salmon, trout, and whitefish. Originally, the century-old method of producing roe was by killing females, as caviar is basically unfertilized fish eggs.

If you are enjoying this article, why not also read about where does cashmere come from, and where does coffee come from here on Kidadl?

What is caviar made of?

Caviar comes from fish. Most farms now use salmon, steelhead, and lumpfish. In America, Sevruga caviar is the most popular variety, so much so that it can be called American caviar.

Due to the decline in sturgeon populations, other types of fishes are raised to process fish roe or caviar. Caviar, now an expensive luxury food, was originally known as a kind of peasant food that was given away for free in bars and seafood outlets. As the species of sturgeon and female sturgeon declined, roe became very expensive. It now costs about $300 per 1 lb (0.4 kg). The fishing and farming of the Beluga sturgeon is now controlled due to a convention on international trade. The sturgeon species is now considered Endangered, due to the fact that many years ago, Russia and Iran almost eliminated the species in their attempt to harvest the buttery delicacy of wild caviar.

It is incredibly hard to purchase a classic wild sturgeon, and it costs substantially more than other types of fish caviar. However, it is considered to be the most expensive caviar. The reason why is because Beluga caviar is the most supreme caviar in taste and has a very nutty flavor. Some people even compare the taste to something resembling a hazelnut. Other kinds of caviar are of a lower quality and do not come from the classic sturgeon. Rather, that particular roe comes from other fishes such as trout, carp, or whitefish. Their taste, quality, and flavor are very different from the traditional sturgeon caviar.

Where does black caviar come from?

Black caviar comes only from the sturgeon fish. Yet, they don't live in just any common countryside river, rather the sturgeon Osetra is typically found in very few numbers and lives in the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.

The rarest and the most expensive caviar is of sturgeon roe, and their trade is restricted or controlled following international trade policies involving Endangered species. The wild sturgeon is very rare and isn't commonly farmed. Their harvesting is also nearly banned in many parts of the world, so their roe is not harvested in great quantity, making their their caviar very expensive. High-quality Beluga, Sevruga, and Osetra caviars are black in color. Other colors include red or orange, which usually belong to salmon roe.

Where does the best caviar come from?

A variety of fishes are farmed and harvested to produce caviar that is of the most optimum taste and texture. Although the most expensive caviar is very difficult to obtain and their harvesting is controlled by the government, they come from an Endangered species that is sturgeon, and are often found in the Caspian Sea.

The world's caviar demand is massive. Typically, those who enjoy caviar prefer the best roe, which is the unfertilized eggs of the female sturgeon. Historically, harvesting these eggs wasn't complicated; now, obtaining the traditional black caviar has become very difficult. Unfortunately, the Russian harvesting method required lethal methods and eventually threatened the survival of the Beluga sturgeon species. They are now Endangered and are very rarely harvested for black caviar. Those over-zealous farming methods have significantly affected the development and harvesting procedures for black caviar. A female sturgeon requires about 7-20 years before producing eggs. Because the population was so abused for their eggs and inhumanely farmed for several decades, those fish are no longer in a position to produce any caviar.

Indeed, the best caviar definitely comes from the Black Sea, but the next best option usually depends very much on the individual conditions of each farm. As this method requires manual harvesting, this variety of caviar's taste depend very much on the skill of the harvester. Caviar has a very short shelf-life, so the harvest method really determines its quality. Roe, or caviar, from fishes such as salmon and others can have the potential to maintain a high quality if served at any point before its shelf-life expires.

Are fishes killed to produce caviar?

The initial method practiced by Russian and Iranian farms, and other harvesting companies across the world required a process that involved killing fish in order to acquire their caviar.

That same process is no longer in practice as of today. Historically, fish were stunned and their ovaries were removed. This method is called stripping, which involves making a small incision in the fish wall and then extracting the caviar. Nearly all of the caviar that is served is harvested from dead fish; however, hormone therapy is being currently used by a few farms to extract the caviar or the eggs without killing the fish.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Where Does Caviar Come From? Remarkable Facts on Luxury Fish Food, then why not take a look at Why Do Dogs Bury Bones? Is It A Dog's Natural Instinct Or a Play?, or Why Do Woodpeckers Peck Wood? And How To Avoid Woodpecker