Caviar has long been considered a food for the rich, and in its truest form this remains so. The two major sources of the finest caviar are under risk and in some areas collecting caviar has been banned.
In particular black caviar, taken from the sturgeon fish has been banned in many areas. In Russia there is a complete ban on taking caviar from the threatened Beluga sturgeon. In other areas work is being done to halt the inhumane killing of sturgeon. Some sturgeon farmers now surgically remove the ovaries and allow the fish to live on. Others are going further still, using a non-surgical technique called ‘striping’ so the eggs (roe) can be collected and the fish itself can continue on to produce more caviar.
Red caviar comes from salmon, with the greatest providers coming from Canada. This salmon caviar is considered a luxury item as much as the prized black caviar. Again though much is being done to protect the salmon population and so caviar prices remain high.
Cheaper versions of caviar are available from other fish too. Lumpfish caviar, whitefish caviar, and caviars from the North Atlantic salmon are readily available as alternatives. While they may not be considered quite good enough for genuine caviar connoisseurs they will probably be suitable for most people’s taste.
Caviar is generally considered an ‘acquired’ taste. If you like its unique salty flavour there are plenty of caviar recipes available online. As a general rule a caviar recipe is not really necessary though, the blander and simpler the accompaniments the better. The idea is for an accompaniment to carry the caviars delicate flavour and not overwhelm it. If you can afford the very best you could even serve your caviar ‘a la louche’ (off the spoon). There are some great recipes though including pizza, soups and pies that are great to use with some of the cheaper caviars. Why not try out a new caviar recipe for your next entertaining event?
