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Caviar is renowned the world over as an exquisite dish enjoyed
by royalty and those who can afford luxurious dining tastes.
The world 'caviar' comes from the Turkish havyar, meaning
'salted fish eggs' - and that's exactly what this delicacy
is.
Traditionally, real caviar is made only from sturgeon
roe, but in the United States 'caviar' can refer to processed
roe from any fish, be it salmon, cod or sardine, just as long
as it's clearly labelled on the tin. In France, the definition
of caviar is much more precise: caviar is roe only from the
female sturgeon of the Caspian Sea.
Some of the best caviar in the world comes from the Caspian
Sea, but because of its popularity and the high prices punters
are prepared to pay, poaching has spiralled out of control
and the sturgeon population of the Caspian Sea is under threat.
Warmer temperatures and falling sea levels are also endangering
the sturgeon spawning grounds, and because the female must
be between seven and twenty years old before it begins producing
roe (depending on the species) it might not be long before
there's a serious global caviar shortage.
Origins and History
Sturgeon is an ancient fish species. Its skeleton is mostly
made up of cartilage and bony plates, and miraculously it
hasn't evolved from its current form since the days when dinosaurs
walked the earth.
The Russians have fished for sturgeon since the 13th century
and until 1953, when Iran was given the right to fish off
the Iranian coast, they monopolised the caviar industry. For
centuries the same methods have been used to rate the quality
of the caviar and preserve the delicate eggs: they are gently
rolled in a large bowl, then salted to keep them fresh for
up to three months.
In the 1920s, after the Russian Revolution, caviar was introduced
to European society, where it was eagerly embraced by the
cocktail quaffing elite. The delicate flavour and pearl-like
texture of Caspian caviar have continued to make it a favourite
hors d'oeuvre in high society until today.
Serving Suggestion
Fine quality caviar should not be mixed with other ingredients
but should be served on dry toast, or perhaps unsalted
crackers. Serve chilled, either from a caviar server or
a glass bowl inside a larger bowl filled with crushed ice.
Don't use a metal spoon, as this will taint the flavour, but
invest in a mother of pearl or bone spoon instead.
A good accompaniment to caviar is frozen vodka, dry champagne
or white wine.
Lesser grades of caviar can be served with eggs, fish, salads,
cream cheese...in fact, why not get creative with your caviar?
Check out the links below for some recipe ideas that will
stun your guests.
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