Posts Tagged ‘Azerbaijan’
Beluga Caviar in Your Future
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The ban on beluga caviar in America has not stopped the Europeans or those in the Middle East from enjoying this delicacy. There are many theories as to why this particular caviar is the most enjoyable to eat of all the caviars in the world including every other type of sturgeon caviar.
The Beluga sturgeon is the only carnivore of all the sturgeons in the world that still exist. This might account for it also being the largest of its species. It can grow to over 20 feet in length and weigh over 3,400 pounds. Near the beginning of the last century this caviar accounted for over 40% of all caviar processed and enjoyed around the world. Since the ban on beluga caviar began in 2005 along the sharp decline in its population in the Caspian Sea, it now only accounts for less than 1% of what is processed and enjoyed.
The countries that still operate in the trade of beluga caviar include Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine. Of these Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia are the three largest.
The beluga sturgeon can also be found in the Black Sea and Adriatic Sea, but the market only seems to have a taste for the Caspian Sea variety. The only logical reason is the diet and the water.
Beluga Caviar is dark black when it is from a younger mother. The color lightens to grey and then white as the fish reaches the 100 year old plateau. This white caviar is called Almas, which is Persian for diamond. When you can locate a tin of this white beluga caviar, you can expect to pay over $800 an ounce for it.
You will recognize beluga caviar when it is served because it is a large black roe. This is larger than any other type of sturgeon still alive today. The taste is also unique being a mild buttery flavor. Because of the mild taste and its rarity, it is recommended that it be served on plain thin toast so its full flavor can be enjoyed.
When you can find it, the price per ounce of black beluga caviar will be in the neighborhood of just over $300 an ounce. To find this delicacy, you need to travel to the Middle East or Europe because the ban in American is not expected to be lifted any time soon.
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No CommentsRussian Caviar Review
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Just the words Russian caviar makes the mouths of many connoisseurs to water, especially the beluga black caviar. These large black unfertilized eggs that are the most sought after in the world for their delicate flavor.
Today because of the sharp decline in the number of beluga and other sturgeons swimming wild in the Caspian Sea, there is a restricted amount of Russian Caviar that is available on the open market. Russia has imposed a self ban on the amount of caviar they are exporting to the world in an effort to help the population of the sturgeons to recover from the decimation in their numbers from the past decades of over fishing. This has significantly increased the cost of obtaining the precious tins of Russian caviar.
Since the US placed the beluga sturgeon on the endangered species list back in 2005, the importation and distribution of Russian and all other countries that harvest caviar from the Caspian Sea has become illegal.
The caviar from Russia is lightly salted or as it is referred to by connoisseurs, malossol; this helps to preserve the caviar so it can be consumed up to six months after it is placed in the tin. Most recommend it be enjoyed within three months, but either way there is no legal wild Russian caviar in the US because it has been banned for over 6 years now.
The three major producers of beluga caviar are Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia. You can obtain this caviar in parts of Europe and the Middle East where there is no ban on the importation or selling of this delicacy. Luckily for the surviving mother sturgeons, the roe is now being harvested in a more human and practical way. This extraction of the roe without harming the mother sturgeons will help to allow the population to increase overtime.
It will take time for the population of the Caspian Sea sturgeons to recover since it takes up to 20 years for the roe to grow mature enough to breed themselves. For the younger generations, they will be able to see this transpire in their lifetime. This will only occur if safe and practical fishing practices are maintained in the harvesting of the precious roe.
Russian Caviar cannot be replaced or substituted. Just like anything else that is overindulged, there is a price to pay. Kaluga is now being sold as the beluga substitute, but it is not the same as the original black beluga Russian caviar that our fore fathers used to enjoy.
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No CommentsAzerbaijan Caviar Available
The Azerbaijan caviar is from the western side of the Caspian Sea. This is the country that is placed between Russia and Iran on the Caspian Sea and has a thriving caviar business.
The Caspian Fish Company is the only legal producer of caviar inside the borders of Azerbaijan and is owned by the Country’s Minister of Caviar and Juice. This same industry was controlled by the Russian Mafia when the USSR was in power in the region.
The country of Azerbaijan has been a major supplier of beluga caviar to the world for hundreds of years. In the early 1900’s Azerbaijan was exporting 55 tones of caviar annually. During the years under the Soviet Union, an agreement between Iran and the USSR reduced the amount of Azerbaijan caviar legally allowed to be exported to only 5.2 tons annually.
After Azerbaijan obtained its independence in the early 1990’s their caviar production returned to its prior glory. In 1993 they were able to export 52 tones of caviar to the world. In 1999 Azerbaijan joined the Convention for International Trade for Endanger Species and has followed the restrictions on the sales of caviar.
In the year 2001 to 2002 the sturgeon population was reported to be reduced in the Azerbaijan area by 40%.
The problem is the illegal poaching of caviar in the Azerbaijan area that is a major concern of the convention. In 2004 there was a reported 2000 attempts by poachers prevented from harvesting caviar with the recovery of 300kg made.
The coastal patrols are still catching poachers, but their numbers have significantly been reduced in recent years. In 2010 there was only 38 kg if caviar that was confiscated by officials.
To help the population of the sturgeons in the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan has been fertilizing a portion of the roe in their control. In 2010 there was a mass release of these fingerlings into the Caspian Sea. This release will need up to 20 years before it will positively affect the population when they mature.
Today you can still find all three types of Caspian Sea sturgeon caviar available for sale to the public. This is online from Musado Wild Nature. Because of the German imported processing plant opened in Azerbaijan in the early 2000’s, this delicacy can be found in glass jars instead of metal tines.
Want to know about Azerbaijan? Watch this video.
Azerbaijan video short version for the class
My First Project
The sale of Azerbaijan caviar is still limited by the Convention for International Trade for Endanger Species, but you can obtain it legally.
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No CommentsBlack Caviar
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The black caviar is the world’s most sought after and expensive type of roe on the planet. This is due to a combination of its rarity and exquisite taste. To be true black caviar, it must meet the following criteria.
The roe must be from a wild sturgeon that was caught in the Caspian or Black Sea. The varieties of sturgeon from which it has to come from are Beluga, Ossetra or Sevruga. The eggs or roe must also be unfertilized and may be pasteurized or non-pasteurized.
The countries that export black caviar included all of the ones on the coast of these two seas, which are Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Because of the demand over the years for this delicacy, the depletion of the sturgeon species has been decimated. By some estimates, only10% of the population still exists from just a few years ago. Because of this, most of the exporting countries have halted sending caviar out of their country to give the species a chance to recover. The only countries that continue to decimate the current wild sturgeon population despite their declining numbers are Iran and Azerbaijan.
Because of the demand and the introduction of poachers from Russia to profit from this dying species, Russia has established sturgeon fish farms so the demand for caviar can be met. While the roe will be relatively the same as those from the wild, many connoisseurs are waiting on their judgment until the long term effects on captivity of the sturgeon are seen.
True black caviar is black to silver-grey in color and the size of a pea. This is soaked in a brine solution and enjoyed by many around the world. To the relief of many, Russia has begun exporting black caviar to Europe from roe harvested from sturgeons coming from the fish farms. This began in February 2011. The volume of the new exports is not yet high enough to meet the current demand, but the black caviar market will adjust to it in the future.
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