When you think luxury food, caviar is definitely one of the first things that come to mind.
Along with gold leaves and diamond-encrusted meals,
caviar is among the finer things in the world of gastronomy.
But what is it about this food that makes it so expensive?
Caviar is French, but the term actually comes from khayah, the Persian word for egg.
For as early as 2000 BC, it was a delicacy in the Persian empire.
Traditionally, caviar is the salted roe or egg of sturgeons, so it doesn’t just come from any fish.
However, some places serve other fish’s eggs as alternative caviar - although the value isn’t the same.
In the past, caviar was prescribed to cure depression.
But now, it is so rare that only the elite can have a taste.
Even with the cheapest sturgeon breeds, the average price of caviar is $50 for an ounce,
which would be enough to last a few bites for 2 people.
Now, what makes this food so special?
Good caviar sparkles like diamonds.
The quality of caviar is determined based on its color, flavor, texture and maturity.
When you open a tin of good caviar, the first thing you should look out for is a distinct sparkle.
Good caviar pops in your mouth with 15 different flavors.
You should also listen for a sound like a cat’s purr when you pack it, which is a sign of quality caviar.
Champagne or vodka are the best drinks for caviar.
Cheese is best with wine, but for caviar, you should savor the taste with champagne or vodka.
In fact, red or white wine is a no-no for caviar.
Champagne and vodka complement the flavor better, while wine could overpower the subtle flavors of caviar.
Sturgeons are now farmed-raised, instead of harvested wild.
Since sturgeons only lay eggs every 20 years, they are pretty rare to encounter in the wild.
In fact, wild sturgeons nearly went extinct due to the rising demand for caviar.
Now, the caviar industry relies on farming.
China is currently the largest producer of caviar, generating 60% of world production.
Kaluga Queen, the world’s largest producer of caviar, farms sturgeons at Qiandao Lake in China.
With over 50,000 sturgeons, it sells 60 tons of caviar every year.
Kaluga Queen provides caviar for 21 out of the 26 Michelin 3-star restaurants in Paris.
However, despite the large supply from farm-raised sturgeons, the demand
for caviar is still higher than the supply.
Sturgeons are caught before they lay their eggs.
Sturgeons typically carry almost 100 pounds of eggs.
Before, sturgeons were caught and killed before extracting the eggs.
However, Russian scientists now sedate the sturgeons before massaging them to harvest the eggs.
These sturgeons are then released back to the sea.
The most expensive caviar may not be the most delicious one.
There are more than 27 species of sturgeons, and the 3 species that produce the best caviar
are the Beluga, Osetra, and Sevruga.
Although the rarity of the type of caviar determines its price, it does not mean it tastes better.
Factors such as the species, how it was raised, and how the roe was treated
can affect the final taste of the caviar.
The taste of caviar can vary between batches, and even between tins.
Here’s a tip.
Always ask for samples before you buy caviar.
Just to be safe, you should always ask to taste some to make sure
you’re getting the most bang out of your buck.
Caviar is packed with vitamins and minerals.
It is full of vitamins A, B2, B6, B12, B44, C, and D,
as well as protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium.
These nutrients help with the nervous, circulatory and immune systems.
It’s pretty much the rich person’s multivitamin.
The most expensive caviar costs over 35 grand per kg.
Almas is a beluga-albino caviar produced from the eggs of the extremely rare albino sturgeons
that are 60 – 100 years old.
They go around for the average retail price of $34,500.
The first known record of caviar dates back to Aristotle, the Greek scholar.
Rulers of the ancient Greeks, Romans, and the Russian tsars popularised the consumption of caviar.
It was the Russian tsars who elevated caviar into the world of luxury.
Shakespeare popularized the analogy, ‘Caviar to the general’ in Hamlet.
Shakespeare once spoke about how the masses at the time did not receive Hamlet very well.
In his words: “The play, I remember, pleased not the million, ’twas caviar to the general.”
With caviar as a symbol of the elite even then, he stated how the general public did not appreciate his play.
You may or may not have a chance to taste caviar in your life,
but we hope our video teased your palate enough.
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