How much do you know about the Sturgeon fish? Find out about where it comes from, how its process, which types of Caviar are made from it and what’s its current state reading this blog. You’ll definitely learn a lot!
If you like Caviar, you should know it is made from the eggs of the Sturgeon fish. Did you know that? Good for you! Now keep reading cause we’re gonna tell you five facts about this fish so your next conversation about Caviar will be as a total expert.
1.What is Sturgeon fish and where does it come from?
Sturgeon is a highly reputed fish recognized by its eggs. There are various species of sturgeon fish living in the fresh waters of the northern hemisphere. Sturgeons can grow up to 6 metres in length, weigh over 100 kilograms and live for over 100 years. They are carnivorous and mainly feed on worms, invertebrates, shellfish and small fish, combing the river bed with their snouts and sensitive barbels.
2. How’s the farming of Sturgeon fish?
Farming sturgeon to produce caviar is expensive. This is mainly because the females mature late. Smaller species can only reproduce when they are between five and nine years old whereas the larger ones are only sexually mature when they are between eight and fourteen years old. In the past, the females were slaughtered to extract the eggs from their abdomens, but currently these techniques have evolved allowing the eggs to be harvested without killing the fish.
The eggs are then weighed and sieved to remove them from their egg sack. After they have been washed and drained, they are graded according to quality. This is judged by the firmness, colour, smell and taste of the grains. The Caviar is then salted to improve its taste and enable it to be preserved for longer. The salt is thoroughly mixed with the grains of Caviar, but only briefly, so that they retain their firmness. The Caviar is then placed on a sieve to dry. Almost 5% to 6% of the egg’s weight is lost during this process.The Caviar is then quickly canned to stop it collapsing. The grains are packaged in metal tins and sealed with an overlapping lid to let as much air out as possible. Those due to be exported generally weigh 1.8 kg. They are then re-packaged in smaller tins by retailers. The tins are transported in refrigerated lorries. Small amounts are sometimes shipped by air freight.
3.How does Sturgeon Caviar taste?
Caviar tastes somewhat like egg yolk, with a touch of herbs and iodine. Some varieties may be reminiscent of hazelnuts. Caviar has a recognisable sweet, fresh smell. To release its delicate flavour, you pop the grains of Caviar against the roof of your mouth with your tongue. Eating it with bland toast or blinis brings out its taste. Premium quality Caviar is marked as Malossol, meaning ‘little salt’ in russian, and contains between 2.8% and 4% of salt. However, it also contains borax, very fine salt used as a preservative. The second quality contains up to 8% of salt. The third quality is pressed Caviar, made from soft, broken or over-mature eggs which are mixed with brine and placed in small oak barrels.
4.Which types of Caviar can you get from Sturgeon fish?
There are different types of Caviar depending on the species of sturgeon. The Beluga produces around 15 kg of large eggs, called grains, which are dark grey to light grey in colour. They are also more fragile. This is the most expensive Caviar, but not the best according to gourmets. The best Caviar is considered to be from the Osetra species, whose smaller, firmer grains keep better. Between 5 kg and 20 kg of Caviar are extracted per female and the grains vary in colour from dark to golden brown and even anthracite grey and caramel. Ossetra Caviar has a particularly delicate flavour with a hint of hazelnut. Sevruga Caviar has the smallest grains. Between 2 kg and 8 kg are taken from each female. The grain is dark grey and its taste has a touch of iodine.
5.What’s the current state of Sturgeon fish?
Given the significant depletion in sturgeon populations, sturgeon fishing has almost disappeared globally and exporting wild sturgeon is now banned. Sturgeons are readily overfished, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) lists more than half of the remaining species as critically endangered. The Chinese sturgeon is thought to be the species most at risk, because its population declined nearly 98 percent between 1973 and 2010. This decline has been associated with water pollution in the Yangtze and dam construction that has blocked access to or changed the flow regime near the sturgeon’s remaining spawning areas. Some researchers worry that the species is close to extinction because there was no evidence of reproduction in the wild in 2013 and 2014.
Now you know all of this about the Sturgeon fish, are you ready to try Caviar? Visit our store in House of Caviar. We have a great variety of the best quality Caviar imported and domestic just a click away from you. Visit us!
FAQs
They are sold as caviar, a word derived from the Turkish word "havyar." Traditionally coveted by royalty and the aristocracy, sturgeon caviar today is prized by chefs and discerning food connoisseurs the world over for its delicate flavor and nutrient-rich health benefits (Figure 1).
What are some fun facts about caviar? ›
One interesting caviar fact is that it is also known as the 'Vitamin Bomb'. Amino acids naturally exist in the ocean species, hence why caviar also has omega 3, it is also full of vitamins such as B1, B6, B12, B5, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D.
What are some interesting facts about sturgeon? ›
These freshwater behemoths are also extremely long-lived. While males may live some 55 years, females can reach more than 150. They are slow to mature and don't begin spawning until they are 15 to 25 years old. Even then, they only spawn every four years on average.
What is sturgeon caviar good for? ›
Caviar is a luxurious, costly food made from sturgeon fish eggs. Rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats. Provides potential health benefits, such as brain and mental health support, skin health improvement, and heart health promotion.
Are sturgeons killed for caviar? ›
In traditional caviar harvesting, sturgeons are killed to extract the roe, impacting the caviar's sustainability and conservation efforts. Caviar quality is also influenced by the condition of the fish during the harvesting process.
How long do caviar sturgeon live? ›
While Beluga sturgeon may live to be over 100 years old and produce several hundreds of pounds of eggs, they are also critically endangered.
What is so special about caviar? ›
Caviar, with its complex briny flavor and creamy texture, offers a unique culinary experience and a nutritious boost of protein and healthy fats. Its prestige stems from its scarcity and labor-intensive production, requiring skilled harvesting to yield perfect roe pearls.
What makes caviar rare? ›
The high cost of caviar can be attributed to its rarity and scarcity, primarily driven by the declining population of sturgeon, the fish species responsible for producing these prized fish roe. Sturgeon species, have experienced significant declines in their numbers due to overfishing and habitat destruction.
Why is caviar called caviar? ›
The etymology of the word 'caviar' comes from the Greek 'avyron' (egg) or from the Persian 'havia' which translates as 'fish roe'. While white sturgeon was known to the seafaring populations of antiquity, the 'caviar' obtained from their eggs does not appear until the 9th century.
What makes sturgeon special? ›
The sturgeon family is the most primitive of all bony fish, dating back to the Cretaceous period more than 120 million years ago. It is believed that the ancestors of sturgeon lived with the dinosaurs. This makes the sturgeon that you see today almost like living fossils!
The first is the rarity of the fish. Wild sturgeon are endangered, and there are simply fewer fish to harvest now. Though farms exist, wild-caught caviar is more prized and thus more expensive. Second, only female sturgeon can be harvested for eggs, so half the fish don't produce caviar.
What do sturgeon bite on? ›
White Sturgeon are not particularly picky when it comes to baits. Squid, smelt, herring, salmon, trout (where legal) and other dead fish will work fine. For the larger ones, it is a good idea to use a large bait. When the shad are running a nice 2lb shad makes a great bait for large White Sturgeon.
How old are sturgeon for caviar? ›
The fish do not produce caviar until they are at least seven years old. Sturgeons are broadcast spawners, and so even as adults they do not spawn every year because the conditions to do so are very specific. Most importantly the quality of the caviar for consumption purposes increases as the fish age.
Why is sturgeon caviar the best? ›
Sturgeon caviar has traditionally been considered the finest due to the fish's unique biology. Sturgeon can live for decades, slowly maturing and accumulating fat that lends the eggs their prized texture and flavor.
What is sturgeon caviar made of? ›
Traditionally, the term caviar refers only to roe from wild sturgeon in the Caspian Sea and Black Sea (beluga, ossetra and sevruga caviars). The term caviar can also describe the roe of other species of sturgeon or other fish such as paddlefish, salmon, steelhead, trout, lumpfish, whitefish, or carp.
Why is sturgeon caviar so expensive? ›
The Rarity of Sturgeon Fish
They take 8-20 years to mature, and females don't produce eggs annually, making availability unpredictable. This limited availability of eggs contributes to caviar's extremely high prices.
Is sturgeon caviar illegal in the US? ›
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service outlawed wild sturgeon caviar more than 20 years ago to protect endangered species, and shortly after outlawed the most-coveted pure Beluga and Kaluga caviars to be imported to the US. This is why you now see farm-raised “Beluga Hybrid” and "Kaluga Hybrid" caviar as alternatives.
