Introduction to Appetizers: My Beginner's (Luck) Guide to Caviar

What do you know about caviar? Well? In the old movies I like to watch people usually always have champagne and caviar. Caviar looks like little small beads and comes in different colors. And uumm … only rich people eat caviar because it’s really expensive! But if you search online you can find quality but inexpensive caviar that you can give as a gift. Uh huh. So you know as much about caviar as I do. Right? Cool! We can learn together. ☺

FUN FACTS FOR FOODIES:

Like most foods that we enjoy today, caviar has ancient origins. Of course, the Persians and the Greeks enjoyed sturgeon roe. The word “caviar” comes from the Persian word “khavyar”, which means “egg-bearing”. And of course, caviar was once considered a royal delicacy, i.e. food only eaten by the royals and the elites, who had wealth and status. But these days, ANYBODY can order caviar online or shop for it at their local grocery store (it’s available at my local grocery store).

Persians created what we now recognize as caviar. They were the first to cure sturgeon roe and also introduced the practice of salting the roe to preserve it.

The Caspian Sea region (Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan) is known for producing some of the finest caviar (Beluga and Kaluga caviar and other type of caviar). Even today it is home to 90% of the world’s caviar. Since this area borders Russia, no surprise it became popular in Russia, where it was a staple at royal feasts and banquets.

In the 19th Century, in the USA, sturgeon was abundant in American waters, especially in the rivers and lakes of the Midwest and East Coast. Would you believe that caviar was often served as a free appetizer in saloons and bars? Supposedly its salty flavor encouraged the customers to drink alcohol. A German immigrant named Henry Schacht gets credit for making the United States a major exporter of caviar. He started a business in 1873 exporting caviar to Europe. Would you also believe a lot of that caviar shipped to Europe is then re-imported to the U.S. labeled as “Russian caviar”? (Unfreaking-believable! Before I did the research I did not know America exported caviar. (O.o) I always thought it was the Russians.)

At any rate, high demand for caviar resulted in an environmental impact: overfishing caused sturgeon numbers to dwindle, the price of caviar rose to the sky, and it’s back to being a luxury item again.

To help meet the demand AND preserve wild sturgeon populations, alternative sources of roe are being used: salmon, lumpfish, and whitefish. In addition, caviar is produced using sustainable aquaculture practices.

Even so, don’t even dream about caviar going back to being an available free bar snack. NOT GONNA HAPPEN! Be happy that it is a luxury delicacy, enjoyed by people around the world, and can be easily purchased if you know where to shop or buy.

REFERENCES:

“Caviar Origin: The History of Caviar.” Imperia Caviar, 18 Aug. 2022, https://imperiacaviar.com/blogs/blog/caviar-origin-the-history-of-caviar.

Filippone, Peggy Trowbridge. “What You Didn’t Know About The Quirky History Of Caviar.” The Spruce Eats, 4 Aug. 2006, https://www.thespruceeats.com/history-of-caviar-as-food-1807579.

Are You Curious About the Colors of Caviar?

• Black Caviar comes from Sturgeon fish, including Beluga, Ossetra, and Sevruga.
• Red Caviar comes from Salmon, trout, and other fish species like steelhead.
• Golden Caviar comes from Albino sturgeon.
• Brown and Gray Caviar come from different sturgeon species and other fish like paddlefish.
• White Caviar come from escargot (snail eggs).

Learn more: “Understanding Color Differences in Caviar.” The Wagyu Shop, 25 Mar. 2022, https://wagyushop.com/blogs/news/understanding-color-differences-in-caviar.

The Dapper Swede. “Ultimate Beginners Guide to CAVIAR! Learn about Caviar, How to Eat and Speak about It like an Expert.” YouTube, 8 Apr. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j40AWgzW2OQ.

Thanks for reading.

NOTE: This content was previously via my foodie blog, EES Presents Food Ways.