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Caviar
Caviar is the Food processing|processed, salted roe of certain species of fish, most notably the sturgeon (''black caviar'') and the salmon (''red caviar''). It is commercially marketed worldwide as a delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or a spread; for example, with hors d'œuvres.
Etymology
The word ''caviar'' entered English via Italian language|Italian [Online Etymology Dictionary], it is ultimately derived from Persian language|Persian , from khaya "egg" (from Middle Persian khayak "egg," from Old Iranian *qvyaka-, diminutive of *avya-, from Proto-Indo European|PIE *owyo-/*oyyo- "egg") + dar "bearing." [LEDA at Harvard Law School - A Brief History of Caviar]
In Persian, the word refers to both the sturgeon and its roe; in Russian language|Russian, the word (''ikra''), "roe", is used. The Russian word ''malossol'' ("little salt") sometimes appears on caviar tins to show that the caviar is minimally salted; typically, caviar contains 4% to 8% salt, with the better-brand varieties generally being less salted.
Varieties
The Caspian Sea is considered the source of the finest black caviar in the world. Contemporary black caviar is roe from sturgeon fished from the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Kazakhstan. The highest prices paid are for the Beluga caviar|Beluga, Ossetra, and Sevruga varieties. The large-grained Beluga caviar is from the Beluga sturgeon, a fish which is unrelated to the Beluga whale, a mammal (the word "beluga" derives from the Russian word for white). The golden Sterlet caviar was once a favorite of czars, shahs, and emperors. Currently, the dwindling fishing yields consequent to overfishing and pollution have resulted in the creation of less costly, though popular, caviar-quality roe alternatives from the Coregonus|whitefish and the North Atlantic salmon.
The harvest and sale of black caviar have been banned in Russia since August 1, 2007. The ban extends for 10 years, but scientific research and the artificial breeding of black caviar fish are exempted.
Ecology
In the early 1900s, Canada and the United States were the major caviar suppliers to Europe; they harvested roe from the lake sturgeon in the Midwestern United States|North American midwest, and from the Shortnose sturgeon and the Atlantic sturgeon spawning in the rivers of the Eastern coast of the United States. Today, however, the Shortnose sturgeon is rated ''Vulnerable'' in the World Conservation Union|IUCN IUCN Red List|Red List of endangered species and rated ''Endangered'' per the Endangered Species Act|U.S. Endangered Species Act.
In Spain a fish farm called Caviar de Riofrio has begun to produce organic caviar. The company raises sturgeon in such a way that it has earned an unspecified organic certification.[www.boston.com - More than one fish egg in the sea]
Current aquaculture of sturgeon is an economically viable means of sustainable, commercial caviar production, especially in Spain, France, Uruguay, and California.[California Farm Bureau Federation - Farmers tame prehistoric fish to make food fit for a king] Hackleback caviar is a popular, inexpensive product of this industry. Paddlefish, a sturgeon cousin, is also farmed in increasing numbers.
Recently, the amount of allowed wild fish harvesting has been decreased, consequently increasing caviar prices. In September 2005, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service banned the import of Caspian Sea Beluga caviar, to protect the endangered Beluga sturgeon; a month later, the ban included Beluga caviar from the entire Black Sea basin. In January 2006, Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna|CITES, the convention for trade in endangered species, announced they were "unable to approve the caviar export quotas" for 2006 from wild fish stocks.[news.bbc.co.uk - International caviar trade banned ] In January 2007, this ban was partly lifted, allowing the sale of 96 tons of caviar, 15% below the official 2005 level.[news.bbc.co.uk - UN lifts embargo on caviar trade ]
Production
Commercial caviar production normally involves stunning the fish (usually by clubbing its head) and extracting the ovaries; some commercial fish farmers are experimenting with surgically removing roe from living sturgeon, allowing the females to continue producing more roe during their lives.
Alternatives and imitation
In Scandinavia, a significantly cheaper version of caviar, made from mashed and smoked cod roe (smörgåskaviar or sandwichkaviar), is sold in tubes as a sandwich filling. When sold outside Scandinavia, the product is referred to as ''creamed smoked roe''.
An obvious sturgeon caviar imitation is Denmark|Danish black coloured lumpsucker caviar, which is sold throughout Europe in small glass jars. It can also be found red coloured. A more expensive sturgeon caviar alternative, sold in Sweden and Finland, is the caviar from the Coregonus albula|vendace. In Finland caviars from the burbot and the common whitefish are also sold.
In some eastern european countries, such as Ukraine and Russia, "Ikra" also refers to an eggplant spread which is often referred to as "poor man's caviar."
In the vegetarian foodstuffs market, Algae#Nutrition|algae-based imitation caviar is produced and sold as a caviar alternative.
Cultural
Given its high price in the West, caviar is synonymous with luxury and wealth. In Russia and other Eastern European cultures, though still expensive, caviar is commonly served at holiday feasts, weddings, and other festive occasions. Sturgeon-derived caviar is generally not eaten by Jews who keep kashrut|kosher, because sturgeon lacks Scale (zoology)|scales and thus is not considered kosher, although there is a discussion of its status within Halacha, being that the scales will come off if soaked in lye; however, this does not apply to every roe-yielding fish species. In Islam generally all sea or river animals such as fish are lawful and halal which applies to the sturgeon as well as its caviar (depending on which school of practice), though in Twelver Shi'a Islam the creature has to have scales. In Hong Kong and Japan, caviar may be found on sushi and is often very affordable. Salmon roe is called "ikura" in Japanese, a loan word from the Russian, "ikra" (caviar).
References
External links
- Cooking For Engineers: Caviar
- Caviar Prep Recipe (Persian)
- Stolt Sea Farm
- Sturgeon population in Hudson River - Once-Endangered Sturgeon Rebounding in Hudson River, Study Says
- Caspian caviar in peril
Category:Roe
Category:Iranian cuisine
Category:Kazakhstani cuisine
Related Images- Seven different types of caviar
- Advertising poster for Iranian caviar in Paris, France
- Sturgeon
- Typical Swedish sandwich with hard-boiled eggs and cod roe caviar from a tube
Sources: StartLearningNow, Wikipedia | Usage license: GNU FDL
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