| Like it or not, everyone knows that it is
| |
| | scallion (sweetened in water), minced
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| a Russian specialty, inseparable from
| |
| | hard-boiled egg (yellow and white).
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| vodka... The word, however, is of Turkish
| |
| | Carefully spread caviar on thin slices of
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| origin: "Kawiar" became "caviale" in
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| | lightly toasted and buttered bread. Warm
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| Italian, then "caviar" in French, all
| |
| | blinis (Russian crepes), spread with
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| this before the Russians even arrived
| |
| | whipped cream, are also particularly good
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| upon the Volga River or the Caspian Sea
| |
| | accompaniment.
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| in the 16th century. Before the word
| |
| | To top it all off, a glass of ice-cold
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| entered into the Russian lexicon, roe
| |
| | vodka, making sure to drink it only at
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| from all fish, including the sturgeon and
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| | the end in order to avoid numbing the
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| salmon, was referred to as "ikra", a word
| |
| | palate while tasting the caviar.
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| of Slavic origins decidedly.
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| | If you do not like caviar at all, at
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| The first to consume caviar were Muslims
| |
| | least try eggplant caviar, which is
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| living in the Caspian region, who had to
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| | nothing more than a mash of eggplant
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| content themselves with the eggs due to
| |
| | pulp!
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| their religion prohibiting them from
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| | 95% of the caviar produced in the world
|
| eating sturgeon meat. There is no
| |
| | comes from sturgeon caught in the Caspian
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| question, however, that the Russian czars
| |
| | Sea by Russian and Iranian fishermen. The
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| and their subjects made up for lost time
| |
| | remaining 5% is produced in China, the
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| in consuming sturgeon roe. After the fall
| |
| | USA, France and also Italy. Widespread
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| of the Soviet Union caviar was no longer
| |
| | opinion holds that the most valuable
|
| produced exclusively in Russia and Iran
| |
| | caviar is the Iranian. This is because
|
| but also in Azerbaidjan, Kazakistan and
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| | the Caspian Sea is deeper on the Iranian
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| Turkmenistan. In other words, it was also
| |
| | side, never freezing, crossed by currents
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| produced by the nations along the banks
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| | that oxygenate its waters, with a gravely
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| of the Caspian Sea who rushed to take
| |
| | bottom as opposed to the muddier bottom
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| advantage of the prolific riches of the
| |
| | on the Russian side. In Iran, female
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| Caspian. According to experts, the
| |
| | sturgeon fishing is under the supervision
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| pressure exerted by these nations
| |
| | of Cites, the international regulatory
|
| combined with the ecological disasters of
| |
| | body overseeing its quantity and quality.
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| the Volga River and the Caspian Sea will
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| | For this reason caviar lovers widely
|
| bring about, in 7-10 years the
| |
| | agree that the best caviar is Iranian.
|
| near-complete disappearance of
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| | The sturgeon's preferred habitat is in
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| black-caviar. Enjoy it while it lasts!
| |
| | much deeper and warmer waters than those
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| Caviar can be fresh, not sterilized,
| |
| | of the Iranian banks of the Caspian. So
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| thereby fully preserving its flavour.
| |
| | the Iranian fishermen set up their nets
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| Fresh caviar, however, must be kept
| |
| | far from shore, allowing them to catch
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| refrigerated and has a limited duration,
| |
| | the females before they begin their
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| from 2 to 6 months, depending on the type
| |
| | journey to the river mouths that feed
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| of manufacturing. Sterilized caviar has a
| |
| | into the Caspian. The sturgeon is then
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| long preservation time, it usually comes
| |
| | anesthetized and the caviar is extracted
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| in a glass jar and can be kept for a
| |
| | by an entirely manual process which
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| longer time at room temperature, but it
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| | includes caesarean, the separation of the
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| definitely loses its flavour. The eggs of
| |
| | eggs by dimension and then cleaning. Once
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| the Beluga are the largest and reach 2.5
| |
| | the eggs have been selected and
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| millimetres in diameter. They are
| |
| | categorized they are salted and packaged.
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| considered the most valuable when they
| |
| | Packing is a very delicate operation. In
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| have clear shadings; those of the Sevruga
| |
| | fact, after having filled the containers,
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| are instead the smallest (about 1
| |
| | the lid is put on with utmost caution;
|
| millimetre), but they are characterized
| |
| | light pressure is applied with the hand
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| by an enhanced flavour; Osetra (about 2
| |
| | so that any entrapped air exits the
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| millimetres) vaguely recalls the taste of
| |
| | container. An airtight rubber seal is
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| walnut, has a clear green-grey colour and
| |
| | then finally put on the lid. The oily
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| a gilded quality. Sterlet caviar was only
| |
| | liquid that usually comes out of the
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| eaten by the families of the Scià and
| |
| | containers during storage is a sign of
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| the Zar.
| |
| | its freshness.
|
| The sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) is a
| |
| | The Russians, meanwhile, are forced to
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| prehistoric lance like fish with very
| |
| | wait for the females to arrive at the
|
| small, fine scales and an elongated snout
| |
| | mouth of the Volga to fish them, by which
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| with four tactile feelers at the tip. The
| |
| | time the eggs have matured further,
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| beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) is the
| |
| | losing many of the qualities that are
|
| largest, weighing up to 400 Kg and
| |
| | said to make the Iranian caviar better
|
| measuring up to 4 meters in length. It is
| |
| | (crunchy skin, defined grain etc). It is
|
| extremely rare (fewer than 100 are caught
| |
| | also worth noting that the Iranian method
|
| per year) and varies in colour from a
| |
| | of anesthetizing the fish allows it to be
|
| clear grey to black. The osetra sturgeon
| |
| | brought to the collection points where
|
| (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii colchicus)
| |
| | the caesarean is performed alive, so as
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| weighs up to 200 Kg and measures up to 2
| |
| | to ensure maximum freshness of the eggs.
|
| meters. The sevruga sturgeon (Acipenser
| |
| | Sturgeon fishing season starts in
|
| stellatus) is very thin, weighing up to
| |
| | February and ends in May, but the best
|
| 30 Kg and measuring up to 1.5 meters.
| |
| | quality caviar is produced in the spring.
|
| Beluga caviar can comprise up to 15% of
| |
| | Although Russian caviar is more
|
| the sturgeon's weight! The beluga
| |
| | commercialized, the uniformity of the
|
| sturgeon is a wild and robust fish and is
| |
| | grain, the crunchy skin, the dodecagonal
|
| hard to catch. It travels to the streams
| |
| | shape (as opposed to spherical) and a
|
| to lay its eggs only every 2-4 years.
| |
| | much defined grain (not sticky) of the
|
| There are numerous kinds of jars and tins
| |
| | Iranian caviar render it the preferred
|
| of caviar, the most well known being
| |
| | caviar among chefs worldwide.
|
| Beluga (blue tin), whose grey eggs are
| |
| | Fresh caviar can be recognized by odour,
|
| appraised by clarity, the clearest being
| |
| | which carries a hint of the sea in it,
|
| of highest value (000 clear grey, 00
| |
| | and its delicate taste. Any fishy odour
|
| medium grey, 0 dark grey). Next is Osetra
| |
| | or spicy taste immediately signals that
|
| (yellow tin), the eggs are also grey but
| |
| | the caviar is not fresh. The grain must
|
| smaller than Beluga, with a nutty
| |
| | be well defined, in the shape of a
|
| flavour. A highly refined type of Osetra
| |
| | dodecagon, not sticky and without any
|
| is also known as Golden Royal and was
| |
| | surrounding liquid. The tin should be
|
| prized by Russian czars. Karaburun eggs
| |
| | tightly packed, without any empty space
|
| vary in colour from amber-yellow to
| |
| | under the lid. If the caviar is not fresh
|
| greyish yellow. Finally, the most common
| |
| | or has been exposed to heat the rupturing
|
| and least expensive type, while delicious
| |
| | of the grains causes liquid to form and
|
| nonetheless when fresh and authentic, is
| |
| | the quality to diminish.
|
| Sevruga (red tin). It is always
| |
| | From a dietetic point of view, it is a
|
| preferable to select your confections
| |
| | nutritive food, rich in proteins, fats,
|
| behind glass, so as to be able to verify
| |
| | phospholipids and lecithin. It provides
|
| its quality (shine, colour, consistency),
| |
| | 280 Kcal. per 100 g of product. contains
|
| as well as the expiration date.
| |
| | considerable amounts of the vitamins A,
|
| The flavour of caviar is fine, delicate,
| |
| | C, PP, B2, B4 and B12 as well as both
|
| rich of tonality, with a precise aroma,
| |
| | folic and pantothenic acids. As for
|
| and probably among the best of gourmet
| |
| | proteins it contains arginine, istidine,
|
| food. For this reason, the best way to
| |
| | leucine, lysine, and methionine all
|
| taste caviar is to eat it alone, possibly
| |
| | essential amino acids.
|
| after being chilled on ice in its
| |
| | The most expensive and very rare caviar
|
| container, opened just before eating. For
| |
| | is the Almas, packaged in 24 karat gold
|
| the best taste, use a non-metallic
| |
| | tins and sold at up to $24,000 per kg!
|
| teaspoon made of something like bone or
| |
| | Its whitish colour is due to the age of
|
| nacre. Above all else it must be tasted
| |
| | the sturgeon from which it is harvested
|
| without lemon, which alters its real
| |
| | and its flavour is marvellous.
|
| flavour! An elegant coupling with the
| |
| | Caviar is said to bear aphrodisiacal
|
| four caviar varieties can be realized
| |
| | qualities.
|
| using whipped butter with vodka, minced
| |
| |
|
