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Caviar

 

Caviar has always been a gastronomic symbol of luxury. Its flavour and consistency, when appreciated, become irresistible. Where does caviar’s charm lie? Certainly as well as being a precious food, it also has a particular aura due to the fishing and processing conditions.


The best caviar comes from Iran along the Caspian Sea coast where the sturgeon is fished and from which its precious roe is extracted.

 

Sevruga is a small sturgeon which is very tasty and produces a small grain, dark grey almost black caviar with a strong taste.

Asetra is a sturgeon that can weigh between 20 and 80 kg and produces caviar with a colour that can vary from dark grey to golden and with a flavour that recalls that of seaweed and nuts with a good consistency. A subspecies of Asetra is Karaburun and its caviar is the latest to have been put on the market.

Finally, Beluga is the largest sturgeon to supply caviar and weighs between 40 and 300 kg. The caviar that is obtained corresponds to approximately 15% of its weight. It is a robust and wild fish that is difficult to catch as it reaches rivers where it deposes its roe only every 2-4 years. Beluga caviar has large grains with a delicate skin and a colour that varies from light to dark grey.
Sturgeon fishing takes place from February to May but the best quality is obtained in spring.

 

In Iran, caviar is graded differently according to colour, hardness, size, uniformity, fragrance, pellucidness, taste and integrity. The only way to conserve caviar is with sodium chloride (salt) and a touch of boric acid (borax). Salt is added in precise quantities and with great care in order to not damage the product: if there is too little salt, the caviar deteriorates rapidly, if there is too much, the caviar becomes dry and sticky.

 

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