Posts Tagged ‘Sturgeon’
Russian Caviar Review
Image via Wikipedia
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.
Related articles
- 6 Types of Caspian Sea Caviar (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Purchase Caviar Online (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Beluga Sturgeon Caviar (gourmetfoodblog.org)
No CommentsAmerican Sturgeon Provide Choices
Image via Wikipedia
The American sturgeon has been around since the days of the dinosaurs. They have flourished in the lakes and streams of this great nation since before it was a nation but were almost hunted down to extinction just over a 100 years ago.
There were so many sturgeons in the rivers that catching them and harvesting the roe was done with a matter of ease. In the early saloons at the turn of the 19th century, American caviar was given away for free. Today this is no longer done and pretzels have replaced them. This is how plentiful the supply was of this ancient species of fish.
Today there are still numerous sturgeons in the waters of America, but many of them are on the endangered species list like the American Pallid. This is a cousin to the sturgeons species and was harvested for it roe just as it cousins are.
The two most popular American sturgeons on the market today are the American Lake sturgeons and the American Hackleback sturgeons. Unlike their cousins in the Caspian Sea, both of these species of sturgeons live their entire lives in fresh water.
Another type is the American Hackleback sturgeons which live mostly in the rivers and streams of the Midwest. They are one of the smallest sturgeons in the world reaching only about a yard long. Their roe is dark like the Beluga cousin but is smaller. The flavor is said to be sweet buttery and nutty.
The American Lake sturgeons are much larger than the Hackleback, but spawn less frequently. They only produce roe every 5 to 7 years on average. In their 100 year life span they can reach up to 3 yards long or more and weigh up to 400 pounds. When they span almost 25% of their weight will be the roe they have produced. This is the caviar that is so highly prized of the 20 different species of sturgeons in the American waters. The reason being is it closely resembles that of the Beluga roe from the Caspian Sea.
Historically the American Lake Sturgeons used to heavily populate the Great lakes, but their numbers have significantly diminished. The limit per catch is only 5 per fisherman and it must be at least 3 feet long to be legal.
The American Sturgeons are a great alternative to those cousins in the Caspian Sea; unfortunately, their numbers are not high due to the same overfishing of the species as what occurred in the Caspian Sea.
Related articles
- 6 Types of Caspian Sea Caviar (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- American Hackleback Sturgeon (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Caviar Migrates Beyond the Caspian Region (nytimes.com)
No Comments6 Types of Caspian Sea Caviar
Caspian Sea Caviar
The Caspian Sea caviar is the most sought after delicacy in the world. This has been how it has been for over a millennium. Unfortunately due to over over harvesting of the roe from all of the sturgeon species of fish, the main source of the rare delicacy is nearing extinction.
Image by Mykal Shaw via Flickr
There are 6 different species of sturgeon that live in the Caspian Sea. Of these there are three which are targeted for their roe in which has supplied the caviar for hundreds of years. The most sought after is the beluga sturgeon.
Fortunately the beluga is the largest of these ancient fish which can live up to and past 100 years. They can grow to over 4 meters in length in that time and amass a weight of over 1000 kg. This sturgeon, like all the other species in the Caspian Sea live their lives in the salt water of the sea but return to the rivers and streams that feed the sea when it comes time to spawn.
The beluga sturgeon will lay on average up to 15% of its own body mass in eggs each spawning season. This spawning only occurs every three years, but unlike the salmon that spawn and die, the beluga and all the others go back to the sea and live on.
The Ossetra sturgeon produces the second most prized type of roe in this ancient fish family. They can reach a weight up to 180 kg and reach almost 2 meters in length. Because they are a smaller species, the amount of roe obtain per fish is smaller. The maximum life expectancy of the Ossetra is only 50 years.
The smallest of the prized sturgeons is the Sevruga. This one might reach 1.5 meters in length and weigh up to 25 kg. They also produce the smallest roe of all the Caspian Sea caviar and only live up to 30 years.
One of the reasons this delicacy was discovered by man so long ago was all of the sturgeon species spawn on the flooded riverbanks in strong current fresh water streams and rivers. This has made them easy to see and catch at a time they are extremely vulnerable.
Because the preferred streams are fast flowing, the roe has to be captured before it leaves the mother which is why this fish’s demise has occurred.
The Caspian Sea caviar comes from ancient fish that are listed on the endangered list with beluga at the greatest risk. Steps have been taken to ensure their survival, but this does not necessarily mean in the wild.
wildsingapore news: Caviar back on the menu – in an ethical way
Once the preserve of Russian tsars and British royalty, caviar was described by the great Renaissance writer François Rabelais as the finest titbit in the world. But recently it has been disappearing from dinner menus, amid …
Publish Date: 11/26/2011 19:00
http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2011/11/caviar-back-on-menu-in-ethical-way.html
Related articles
- Beluga Sturgeon Caviar (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Beluga Caviar Food Blog (gourmetfoodblog.org)
No CommentsBeluga Caviar is Available
Image by jamesjyu via Flickr
Beluga Caviar Limited Availability
Beluga Caviar is the most sought after and expensive of all the delicacies in the world. Unfortunately for most of the world, the importation of this morsel is banned. For others there is a strict limit to what can be sold legally.
The ban on beluga caviar was placed there in 2005 by the US Fish and Wildlife Services. The Convention for International Trade also suspended all trade in caviar from the Caspian Sea in 2006. This was partially lifted in 2007, but the amount of caviar allowed to be sold was only 15% of what was previously released on the market.
The ban on Iran caviar to the American market has been in place since 2008 and cannot be legally purchased there. There is some beluga caviar on the market, but a majority of it is from fish farms in America were the beluga sturgeon is raised. Their blood lines do come from the Caspian Sea, but true connoisseurs of this delicacy say it is just not the same.
Beluga Caviar from Iran
Today the Iranian beluga caviar is openly traded on the international market because this country is conducting their harvesting of the caviar in a conservative and responsible way from their fisheries. For this reason Iranian caviar is not part of the international ban.
The ban was put in place to help this species from going extinct. The female beluga sturgeon requires 20 years to reach sexual maturity. They also only reproduce every 2 to 4 years. With the stocks of wild beluga dropping over 90% in the past 20 years, the supply of beluga caviar along with the other varieties cannot meet the demand with or without the new quotas. The optimal year for harvesting the roe of the beluga sturgeon is 31 years, which means it will be some time before this species can recover, if ever in the wild.
One of the difficulties in raising beluga caviar is this is the only species of sturgeon that is a carnivore. Matching it food source from the wild along with the required exercise to keep them healthy has been a challenge in the limited areas of the fisheries.
Unfortunately the results of a study in 2010 shows that the current limits on the harvesting of the Beluga and other types of caviar are 4 to 5 time higher that what it required to sustain a healthy population of the sturgeon species of fish.
Love Beluga Caviar
For those that love beluga caviar, the options are severely limited and hope of it becoming readily available on the open market are slim. Fortunately the species will never go extinct because of the fisheries, but they may disappear from the wild in the next decade.
Four years ago a consortium of agencies mounted an effort to persuade the US government to list beluga sturgeon as an endangered species. This 90 second news feature, taped up and down the Volga River, and in Kazakhstan, provides background on the pr…
Related articles
- Beluga Caviar Food Blog (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Market of Beluga Caviar (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Purchase Caviar Online (gourmetfoodblog.org)
No CommentsNonsurgical Live Removal of Caviar
The need for nonsurgical live removal of caviar from the host mother is one of the best ways to help sustain the sturgeon’s population to a level where it can be removed from the endangered species list. This technique is called stripping the roe from its mother.
The reason stripping is now the preferred method for the removal of the roe for human consumption is that the sturgeon then lives on and can produce another batch of eggs. Unfortunately most species of sturgeon only go thru the reproductive cycle once every three years. This is considerable better than the 20 years required for a sturgeon to be hatched then grow to maturity before it can start to produce roe of its own.
The old way of extracting the roe from the female sturgeons was to slice the belly of the fish open and remove the ovaries that contained the unfertilized eggs. There were some fisheries that were stitching up the females after the ovaries were removed so the fish could live on, but with no ovaries to produce the desired caviar, the fish had no more use for the caviar industry or able to reproduce to help keep the population from collapsing.
The process of stripping itself came from the salmon fisheries. There they used to strip the roe and sperm from adults so a new generation of salmon could be raised. To perform this procedure the sturgeon is generally anesthetized. This allows for less harm to come to the roe and the mother.
This procedure is done by hand where a person takes the fish by the tail with one hand. The other hand then applies pressure to the ovaries externally so the roe can flow out. This is then collected and inspected. Because each fish is different and the quality of its roe will vary, each collection process is done in separate containers so the higher quality caviar can early be separated from the lower grade ones.
This practice of stripping has been performed by the fisheries in Iran for some time now. It is also the reason the Iranian Caviar was not banned for human consumption when all other counties were by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in 2005. The reason for the ban in America was purely a political one that most agree with.
The use of nonsurgical live removal of caviar still allows for the harvesting of this delicacy without endangering the lives of the sturgeons that product them. As long as some of the roe are allowed to hatch, the population of all sturgeon species can be maintained and grow so a sustained supply of caviar can exist in the future for human consumption and enjoyment.
South Korea Emerges as Unlikely Source of Caviar
The unfertilized eggs of the sturgeon have made the fish one of the world’s most valuable wildlife resources. Some 90 percent of the world’s caviar comes from sturgeon in the Caspian Sea, but uncontrolled fishing after the collapse of the Soviet Unio…
Related articles
- Purchase Caviar Online (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Great Deals on Caviar (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Current Price of Caviar (gourmetfoodblog.org)
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.
Related articles
- Purchase Caviar Online (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Great Deals on Caviar (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Beluga Caviar Food Blog (gourmetfoodblog.org)
No CommentsAmerican Hackleback Sturgeon
The American hackleback sturgeon is also called the Shovelnose sturgeon because of the way the head is shaped. Other names this ancient fish goes by includes switchtail and sand sturgeon. This is one of nine sturgeons that populate the waterways of American naturally. Unlike its Caspian Sea cousins, the Hackleback is a fresh water sturgeon that thrives in the large rivers in the middle of the country.
Fortunately for those that appreciate the roe from the hackleback, it has largest by population of all the sturgeons in the wild. It is mainly found in the great muddy Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. This fresh water sturgeon only takes eight to ten years before the female can be mature enough to produce eggs.
Unfortunately they only spawn every three years but their numbers are so abundant that they are now being commercially fished. Fortunately this is the fastest growing sturgeon on earth and can reach 38 inches in just eight years. This size also makes it the smallest sturgeon on the planet.
As for taste of the American hackleback sturgeon, it is most commonly compared to the Sevruga and Beluga caviar that is caught in the Caspian Sea. The hackleback is a bottom feeder so its food source will vary from fish to fish. For this reason the taste seems to vary at times. Many state that it has a buttery taste while other samples have given off a nutty taste to them.
The roe itself is small to medium size so it will never be mistaken for Beluga even with the fresh nutty flavor. The color is dark to black in most instances that is natural.
Because of the abundant supply, this roe is also very reasonably priced. A one ounce tin can be easily found at prices of $17 to $24 each. Since this is considered a single serving, if you are going to throw a party then the seven ounce tin for just over $100 might fit your needs better.
This is fresh roe that is only lightly salted. Since it is not generally pasteurized, the shelf life in a refrigerator that is kept at 26F to 36F is only 4 to 6 weeks.
To enhance the flavor, many of the fisheries use the same salt as Russian caviar in an attempt to enhance the natural flavor and make the claim that the roe is processed in Caspian methods.
The American hackleback sturgeon is the most abundant of all the caviar in the world along with being the least expensive of the sturgeon caviar available today. The flavor is exceptional and is enjoyed around the world.
Related articles
- This is Our Caviar Blog (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Why Russian Caviar is Favored (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Purchase Caviar Online (gourmetfoodblog.org)
No CommentsCurrent Price of Caviar
Image via Wikipedia
Price of Caviar
The price of caviar is heavily dependent on the type and rarity of the specific kind you wish to enjoy at your next gathering of friends. For the American market, the price of beluga caviar is so high and rare; most connoisseurs have decided to find an alternative for their parties.
In the American market the use of the term Black Caviar is not a reference to beluga. The source of this type of caviar is the American hackleback and paddlefish. This is being sold for $25 to $39 for a 2 ounce jar. The eggs are large and black and acceptable for some that enjoy caviar.
Another form of black caviar being sold is from the Bowfish. While not related to the sturgeon, many producers of this roe like to point out that this fish is even older than the sturgeon. The eggs are black like the beluga but are smaller in size. This can be found for $60 for a 2 ounce tin. This is also still a wild fish so there is a close resemblance of the desired taste most connoisseurs appreciate.
Another common name that is slightly misleading in the caviar industry is Organic caviar. This is just a marketing name for sturgeons that are raised in a fish farm. This is generally from the Osetra variety of sturgeon and can be purchased for $195 for a 2 ounce tin.
One of the lowest prices caviars is from the salmon family. This is red caviar with its large roe. At times this egg can be the size of small pearl. This is still acquired from wild salmon and can be purchased for $18 for a 2 ounce tin. The varieties of salmon roe used include Chum, Sockeye, Pink, Atlantic, King, Coho and Steelhead.
Lowest Price of Caviar
One of the most unusual types of caviar on the market is Black Caviar Supreme. The roe is small and the black color is from the ink of a squid. It is small and crunchy and some of the retailers claim this roe can even be frozen. It sells for $17.50 for a 2 ounce tin. The exact source of the roe is not disclosed.
The Siberian caviar is another misleading name for type of delicacy. In reality it is farmed Osetra sturgeon from the fish farms in America. It has a buttery taste with medium size grayish eggs. This can be found in a 2 ounce tin for $120.
French Fine Dining – The Affordable Way – Malaysia
For a price of RM255++ (without wine), patrons can enjoy a myriad of tastes like foie gras, lobster, cod fish, oysters, beef and even caviar in its menu. This is indeed an absolute opportunity, not only for aficionados of French …
Publish Date: 10/20/2011 1:06
http://www.malaysia.com/blog/french-fine-dining-the-affordable-way/
Supply and Demand Affects Price of Caviar
Remember beluga caviar has been banned since 2005 and can only be found on the black market. This is just some of the price of caviar you can find in the American market.
Related articles
- Purchase Caviar Online (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Enjoy a Caviar Tasting (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Market of Beluga Caviar (gourmetfoodblog.org)
2 CommentsPurchase Caviar Online
Purchase Caviar Online
Purchasing Caviar Online is Easy
Finding and purchasing caviar online is not a problem anymore. This eCommerce has developed into a substantial part of this $100 million industry. When most consumers think of caviar, the beluga sturgeon and its roe come to mind. This is the most popular and one of the highest prices selections of caviar that can be found. This can cost over $180 an ounce. At this time the tin will have the word Keluga and not beluga. This is known as river beluga caviar.
You can purchase up to 1 pound of this delicacy that will be sealed in a tin for $2880, but remember that to enjoy this morsel, it should be less than 3 months old. Do not make such a large purchase that a portion of it might expire.
Also when online, remember to read the fine print. Today the international standards require the roe to be identified. Just because it is beluga, do not expect it to be from a wild sturgeon that was captured in the Caspian Sea. The majority of what is on the market is now from fish farms located around the world.
The countries that have established sturgeon fish farms for the purpose of sustaining the sturgeon population include Russian, America, Canada, China, France, Italia, Israel and Spain. The country of origin is required on the tin so consumers will know where it is from.
Purchase Russian Caviar Online
While most of the world considered the large black roe of the beluga sturgeon the best, the royal courts of Russian have always favored the golden smaller roe of the Osetra. This morsel can cost as much as $200 an ounce.
The remaining caviar that can be found is at a lower price. While most of the sturgeon caviar farms around the world have sturgeon that originated in the Caspian Sea, they are no longer considered Russian caviar and cannot be labeled as such. This is to the advantage of the consumer since the price is then reduced.
A one ounce tin of Osetra caviar can be found for only $55 if from America. An Italian variety can be had for only $46 and farmed Russian Osetra is available from $66. Of the farmed roe, the Chinese are the most expensive at $150 for each ounce of this morsel with the Spanish pressed caviar, Payusnaya Russian Style the least expensive at under $40.
Now that you are about to make your purchase online of this wonderful delicacy, we invite you to check out the prices of our sponsor , at www.reasonably-priced-caviar.com/. You will find all types of caviar to your liking and they may be rush delivered to your door for tomorrow nights party.
Here is how you can present the caviar you purchased online.
Zagat Presents: CAVIAR CREATIONS
Guests dined like tsars at this opulent UWS landmark, indulging in four courses of caviar-centric, French-influenced cuisine. They started the night off with king crab with saffron crème fraîche, followed by dishes highlighting Petrossian’s world ren…
Caviar Online from a Sustainable Source
Because the roe is now harvested without killing the mother, this delicacy is now from a sustainable source so generations in the future can enjoy it. These are some of the things you need to look for and understand when making a purchase of caviar online.
Related articles
- Why Russian Caviar is Favored (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Enjoy a Caviar Tasting (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- On Choosing Caviar (gourmetfoodblog.org)
No CommentsBeluga Sturgeon Caviar
image via wikipedia
The beluga sturgeon is the best known of these ancient fish that supply the world with the best caviar. This is a very large predatory fish that matures late and is very slow growing. It is said that some beluga have reached the age of 118 before dying of old age but take up to 20 years before they mature enough to spawn.
This is a sea creature that can be found mainly in the Caspian Sea but also are known to inhabit the Black and Adriatic Seas. Just like the salmon, the sturgeon lives their entire lives in the open sea but travel up fresh water rivers to span.
The largest known capture of one of these giants occurred in 1827 when a fisherman from the Volga estuary in Russia snagged it. It weighed 3,250 pounds and had a length of 24 feet. It was a female which is known to be as much as 20% larger than their male counterparts. The female sturgeon only produces eggs every three to four years, so their reproductive cycle is longer than most living creatures.
The beluga is well known for its roe or eggs. Unfortunately the meat of these large predatory animals is not so highly prized and goes to waste in most cases. The roe is the largest of the known caviar. It has a characteristic color of nearly black to a light grey. The lighter the color of the roe, the older the fish is.
There is another variety of beluga roe that is rarely seen anymore. This is the Almos roe or centennial beluga. The color of its roe is nearly white and is extremely rare since most sturgeons no longer reach the age of 100 due to the over fishing of this species that has existed for centuries.
Early in the 21st century the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species set quotas for the amount of caviar that can be harvested and sold on the open market. Unfortunately these quotas have done little to halt the decline in the wild population of the sturgeon as reported by the Pew Institute for Ocean Science. This decline has seen the population of the beluga to be reduced by 90 percent in the last 20 years.
Ironically the most valued of all caviar is not from the beluga sturgeon, but from their cousin the ossetra sturgeon. This is the source of the famous Russian Imperial Ossetra caviar.
Related articles
- Enjoy a Caviar Tasting (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- The Gourmet Food Blog (gourmetfoodblog.org)
- Waves wiped out caviar farm (search.japantimes.co.jp)
No CommentsBuy Caviar
