If there is a synonym for edible luxury, it is caviar. The roe of the sturgeon females They have been a delicacy since time immemorial and like any self-respecting delicatessen there are implicit rules: you do not have to carry more than 5 grams of salt for each 100 gr of product (not less than 3 gr) and it is always eaten with a mother-of-pearl or bone spoon, since the metal one will alter its flavor. The smell and taste of caviar have to evoke subtly the sea. The most expensive variety in the world is obtained from the roe of the albino beluga sturgeon from the Caspian Sea: about 100 grams can cost more than 3.000 euros.
The origin and traceability are two of its most important characteristics by which we can identify the quality of caviar. Caviar from Riofrío, an Andalusian company founded in 1963 that has the first organic certificate and one of the best in the world, in Summum tells us some of the curiosities of this sybaritic product that will surprise you:
1. Only sturgeon roe. The first thing is to know what exactly caviar is: it is sturgeon roe prepared for human consumption. Everything else is fish or crustacean roe, or just substitutes, not caviar.
2. Females, after 18 years of breeding and up to 350 kilos a sturgeon can weigh in the wild, although growth is controlled in captivity. 18-year-old females usually reach 20-25 kilos in captivity and the roe are usually 10 or 12% of their weight.
3. More than 80 years of life. We are talking about a fish of prehistoric origin that has lived for 250 million years and whose life cycle is between 80 and 120 years. They stand out for their quiet life and the slowness of their movements.
4. CITES or the key to avoid fraud. To regulate trade, ensure that caviar comes from legal producers and avoid fraud, many of which are directly related to a product of Chinese origin, since the 90s there has been the seal of the International Convention on Traffic in Protected Species or CITES. For example: NAC / C / ES / 2019 / ES-1200140. The first three letters indicate the species; the second, the origin, captivity; country of origin; year of production and, finally, sanitary registration of the packer.
5. Beluga, Iranian, Russian or… Chinese? Caviar is often sold emphasizing that it is beluga, Iranian or Russian when it is actually repackaged Chinese caviar and not even beluga. Currently there is a lot of Chinese caviar on the market and others that come from closed recirculating water circuits with residual mud flavors. Even the commercial labels of the containers are replaced to mislead the customer.
6. The Cossacks, the first consumers. They believed that it enhanced physical strength and in ancient Rome healing properties were attributed to it. The Turks and Persians also consumed it.
7. And in Don Quixote! Even Miguel de Cervantes mentions caviar in his masterpiece: “They also put a black delicacy that they say is called caviar and is made from fish eggs, a great alarm clock for colambre.”
8. Luxury product from 1917. Its consumption in Europe spread during the Russian Revolution. Then, the aristocrats fleeing the country arrived in Paris and Monte Carlo, where they delighted in its flavor at dinners and parties that attracted high society. That was the beginning of its fame as a luxury product.
9. Better if tasted alone. As long as the caviar is fresh and without preservatives, with a mother-of-pearl teaspoon or directly on the back of the hand to remove the cold. Thus, the flavors of other foods or materials do not interfere. If you want to accompany it, we recommend a snack as simple and special as the classic fried eggs with caviar by chef José Andrés.
10. The perfect pairing: Champagne. Golden bubbles are undoubtedly its best companion, but it can also go well with very cold vodka or dry white wine.