A History Of Caviar

Nearly everyone who has heard of caviar typically tends to associate it to the likes of connoisseurs, those with immense wealth and in the upper classes of society. Quite expectedly such a priceless gourmet offering has a rich history. However before exploring its history lets us understand what caviar really is. Typically identified as soft globules available in different colors depending on its kind, caviar is nothing more than the roe of fish which is harvested and salted before served.  Today it still retains most of its charms as an appetizer and is quite popular as a garnish and spread.

Looking back, the lineage of the delicacy can be traced to Middle Persia where the word means egg generator taking the likeness from where it is found and processed. A disembogues reference suggestively muses it as “cakes of power”, not surprising to note as we see it gracing the tables of nobles and aristocracy. With time, the shift of politics and diplomacy, it traveled the world as hors d’oeuvres of the prosperous and powerful. It eventually gained world wide popularity gracing the tables of the Russian Czars to the world after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

Since the earliest of times, and note that the date goes back to the 2nd century of the Roman conquests, the jar of Sturgeon Caviar was as expensive as it is today and meant only for the tables of the rich and prosperous. Though, today non-sturgeon caviar can be afforded by most, available at every nook and corner. The modern methods of able fish farming have boosted the caviar industry. It is the Sturgeon caviar that still remains expensive and inaccessible due to its depleted numbers thanks to over fishing and pollution.

America and Canada dominate the caviar market with its range in lake-sturgeon fishes which seems to distant cousins to the sturgeons of the Black Sea, and non-sturgeon fishes such as White fishes and Salmon. Also here a lot of development has taken place as far as technology is concerned for processing caviar. Caviar can be pasteurized by a process where the roe is cooked for a small period of time in order to increase the shelf life even without refrigeration. The process slightly alters the texture and makes the quality of taste a bit more firm.

It is interesting to note that European and Russian dominance in the caviar industry has been broken due to the escalated status of the Sturgeon types as endangered species. The Sterlet sturgeon which used to be famous for the golden roe has now been declared extinct which is a cause for alarm.

However, new and improved scientific methods are being developed which allow hope for the revival of the caviar and possibility of sharing its finesse to every table. Though in experimental stage, fish farmers are attempting surgical removal of roe without killing the sturgeon ensuring that the host continues life cycle and fertility cycle. And hopefully in the near future, delectable Sturgeon black caviar would be available for all to relish.