Caviar

According to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, roe from any fish not belonging to the Acipenseriformes order (including Acipenseridae, or sturgeon sensu stricto, and Polyodontidae or paddlefish) are not caviar, but "substitutes of caviar"."Roe coming from a fish other than Acipenseriformes is not caviar and is often classified as «caviar substitute»." in [http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/y5261e/y5261e06.htm Catarci, Camillo (2004), "Sturgeons (Acipenseriformes)", in World markets and industry of selected commercially-exploited aquatic species with an international conservation profile, FAO Fisheries Circulars – C990, FAO Corporate Document Repository, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Department.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712184110/http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/y5261e/y5261e06.htm |date=12 July 2018 }} This position is also adopted by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora,"Caviar: processed roe of Acipenseriformes species." in [http://www.cites.org/eng/res/12/12-07R13.shtml CITES (2002), "Annex 1 – CITES guidelines for a universal labelling system for the trade-in and identification of caviar", in Resolution Conf. 12.7 – Conservation of and trade in sturgeons and paddlefish, Twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, Santiago (Chile), 3–15 November 2002.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060214041052/http://cites.org/eng/res/12/12-07R13.shtml |date=14 February 2006 }} the World Wide Fund for Nature,"Caviar is made from the unfertilized eggs of female sturgeon and paddlefish, among the oldest and largest species of fish living on earth." in [http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/globalmarkets/wildlifetrade/item5684.html World Wide Fund for Nature, Wildlife Trade – Caviar Trade FAQs.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208092854/http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/globalmarkets/wildlifetrade/item5684.html |date=8 February 2012 }} the United States Customs Service,"The United States of America Custom Service (US Customs & Border Protection, 2004) defines caviar thus: Caviar is the eggs or roe of sturgeon preserved with salt. It is prepared by removing the egg masses from freshly caught fish and passing them through a fine-mesh screen to separate the eggs and remove extraneous bits of tissue and fat. At the same time, 4–6 percent salt is added to preserve the eggs and bring out the flavour. Most caviar is produced in Azerbaijan, Russia, and Iran from fish taken from the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azov." in [http://foodfancy.net/docs/a0685e01.pdf Johannesson, J. (2006), "1. Fish roe products and relevant resources for the industry: Definitions of caviar", Lumpfish caviar – from vessel to consumer, FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 485, Rome, FAO, p.1.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110184657/http://foodfancy.net/docs/a0685e01.pdf |date=10 November 2013 }} and France.[http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;jsessionid=46BF33411922BE7C1609CEB7AC30A027.tpdjo08v_3?cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006056141&dateTexte=20100202 Arrêté du 23 février 2007] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003152749/http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;jsessionid=46BF33411922BE7C1609CEB7AC30A027.tpdjo08v_3?cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006056141&dateTexte=20100202 |date=3 October 2012 }} (NOR: DEVN0750874A; Version consolidée au 06 mai 2007), Article 1: "a) Caviar : oeufs non-fécondés, traités, des espèces d'acipensériformes dont la liste figure en annexe du présent arrêté;".

The term caviar is sometimes used to describe dishes that are perceived to resemble caviar, such as "eggplant caviar" (made from eggplant) and "Texas caviar" (made from black-eyed peas).

The term caviare or caviar was first introduced into the English language in the late 16th century and appears to have been borrowed from a number of European languages at the same time, including French cavial, Italian caviale, Portuguese caviar, and Spanish cabial, all of which are ultimately derived from Turkish khāvyār.{{sfn|Ayto|2013|p=67}} Up to the 17th century, archaic spellings included chauiale, cavery, and cauiarie, and as early as 1625, it was becoming a three-syllable word, with the final "e" being dropped in speech.{{sfn|Ayto|2013|p=67}} In Russian, the term for caviar is ikra, a term that was used in the English language in the 16th and 17th centuries as ikary.{{sfn|Ayto|2013|p=67}}

Caviar and sturgeon from the Sea of Azov began reaching the tables of aristocratic and noble Greeks in the 10th century, after the commencement of large-scale trading between the Byzantine Empire and Kievan Rus'.{{sfn|Talbot Rice|1967|pp=139–140}} The Russians likely learned to process fish eggs with salt from Greek traders who had passed along the Black Sea coast, but it was not until after the Mongol invasions that the caviar industry developed in Astrakhan.{{sfn|Goldstein|2022|pp=43–45}} Production was for a long time centered on the Caspian Sea, with the Iranians and Russians accounting for most of its output.{{sfn|Davidson|2014|p=154}}

In the 16th century, François Rabelais described caviar as the finest item of what is now called hors d'oeuvre.{{sfn|Davidson|2014|p=154}} By 1569, the Russians had conquered the entire Volga River to its mouth.{{sfn|Patterson|2000|p=1241}} The Volga and its tributaries offered a diverse range of fish, including sturgeon and its caviar, as well as sterlets, a type of small sturgeon that pleased both Russian locals and foreigners.{{sfn|Patterson|2000|p=1241}}

Caviar was eaten differently in the past compared to today.{{sfn|Goldstein|2022|pp=43–45}} Medieval Russians often ate it hot.{{sfn|Goldstein|2022|pp=43–45}} The Travels of Olearius in Seventeenth-Century Russia says "they expel the roe from the membrane in which it is contained, salt it, and after it has stood for six to eight days, mix it with pepper and finely chopped onions. Some also add vinegar and country butter before serving it. It is not a bad dish. If one pours a bit of lemon juice over it, instead of vinegar, it gives a good appetite, and has a restorative effect."{{sfn|Goldstein|2022|pp=43–45}}

The main types of caviar from sturgeon species native to the Caspian Sea are Beluga, Sterlet, Kaluga hybrid, Ossetra, Siberian sturgeon and Sevruga. American White Sturgeon caviar is abundant and native to California and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The rarest and costliest is from beluga sturgeon that swim in the Caspian Sea, which is bordered by Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan. Wild caviar production was suspended in Russia between 2008 and 2011 to allow wild stocks to replenish. Azerbaijan and Iran also allow the fishing of sturgeon off their coasts. Beluga caviar is prized for its soft, extremely large (pea-size) eggs. It can range in colour from pale silver-grey to black. It is followed by the small golden sterlet caviar which is rare and was once reserved for Russian, Iranian and Austrian royalty. Next in quality is the medium-sized, light brown to rich brown Ossetra, also known as Russian caviar. Others in the quality ranking are the grey sevruga caviar, the Chinese Kaluga caviar, and the American white sturgeon caviar. The Siberian variety with black beads is similar to sevruga and is popular because of its reduced (five years) harvest period, but it has a higher brine content than other kinds. The Chinese Kaluga hybrid varies in colour from dark grey to light golden green and is a close cousin of beluga caviar.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

An expensive caviar example at {{convert|1|kg|lb}} sold for £20,000 (then US$34,500) is the Iranian 'Almas' product (from {{langx|fa|الماس}}, "diamond") produced from the eggs of a rare albino sturgeon between 60 and 100 years old from the southern Caspian Sea.{{cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-caviar|title=Most expensive caviar|access-date=6 April 2019|year=2019|website=guinnessworldrecords.com}} Wild beluga sturgeon caviar from the Caspian Sea was priced in 2012 at $16,000 per {{convert|1|kg|oz}}.{{cite web|url=http://russian.lingualift.com/blog/russian-caviar-roe/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002151223/http://russian.lingualift.com/blog/russian-caviar-roe/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 October 2012|title=Black Gold: Russian caviar|publisher=Russian Cuisine|author=Angelica Dubinsky|date=18 September 2012}} Cheaper alternatives have been developed from the roe of whitefish and the North Atlantic salmon.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

Conventional sturgeon caviar was priced in 2014 at about $105 per {{convert|1|oz|g}} and from albino sturgeon up to $800 per ounce.{{cite web | title=No-Kill Caviar Aims To Keep The Treat And Save The Sturgeon | publisher=US National Public Radio | date=30 March 2014 | url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/03/07/287309630/no-kill-caviar-aims-to-keep-the-treat-and-save-the-sturgeon|author=Alastair Bland | access-date=6 April 2019}} Other quality factors are texture – with firmness having higher quality value – flavour qualities, such as creaminess, butter taste, and brine or mild fish finish, and whether the caviar was taken from the fish by massage (higher value) rather than by killing it. Caviar is generally sold in ounces. An ounce of sturgeon caviar costs between $45 and $1,000, depending on the variety of sturgeon and other factors.

China produces the most caviar of any single country.{{cite news|title=The World Is Eating Chinese Caviar (And Doesn't Know It)|url=http://www.thatsmags.com/beijing/post/17511/the-world-is-eating-chinese-caviar-and-doesn-t-know-it|publisher=that's|date=4 February 2017}} The largest caviar company in the world is the Chinese brand Kaluga Queen, which cultivates sturgeon at Qiandao Lake in Zhejiang.{{cite news|last1=Krader|first1=Kate|title=The World's Best Caviar Doesn't Come From Russia Anymore|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-19/the-world-s-best-caviar-doesn-t-come-from-russia-anymore|access-date=20 September 2017|work=Bloomberg News|date=19 September 2017}}

In the wake of over-fishing, the harvest and sale of black caviar were banned in Russia in 2007.[http://www.newzy.net/2011/02/15/russians-caviar-in-europe/ "After a nine year ban Russia has begun exporting sturgeon caviar to the European Union"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110306142314/http://www.newzy.net/2011/02/15/russians-caviar-in-europe/ |date=6 March 2011 }}, Newzy.net, 21 February 2011 The ban on sturgeon fishing in the Caspian Sea has led to the development of aquaculture as an economically viable means of commercial caviar production.[http://www.cfbf.com/agalert/AgAlertStory.cfm?ID=408&ck=0D0FD7C6E093F7B804FA0150B875B868 California Farm Bureau Federation] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060529095608/http://www.cfbf.com/agalert/AgAlertStory.cfm?ID=408&ck=0D0FD7C6E093F7B804FA0150B875B868 |date=29 May 2006 }} – Farmers tame prehistoric fish to make food fit for a king Russian caviar exports were also banned from 2002 to 2011.{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Shaun |title=Russian caviar goes back on the European menu after nine years |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russian-caviar-goes-back-on-the-european-menu-after-nine-years-2205035.html |access-date=30 March 2024}}

File:Sturgeon fishing in the Po river.JPG

Cristoforo da Messisbugo in his book Libro novo nel qual si insegna a far d'ogni sorte di vivanda, Venice, 1564, at page 110, gave the first recorded recipe in Italy about extraction of the eggs from the roe and caviar preparation "to be consumed fresh or to preserve".{{cite news |last=Cristoforo da Messisbugo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MCU6AAAAcAAJ |title= Libro novo nel qual si insegna a far d'ogni sorte di vivanda |publisher=Venezia |year=1564 }}

The writer and voyager Jérôme Lalande in his book "Voyage en Italie", Paris, 1771, vol. 8, page 269, noted that many sturgeon were caught in the Po delta area in the territory of Ferrara.{{cite news |last= Joseph-Jérôme De Lalande | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TB2MNcYRmF0C&q=delalande+voyage+en+italie&pg=PP3 |title= Voyage en Italie |publisher=Paris |year=1771 }}

In 1753 a diplomatic war broke out between the Papal States, governing the Ferrara territory, and the Venetian Republic about sturgeon fishing rights in the Po River, the border between the two states.Archivio di Stato di Roma, Commissariato Generale della Reverenda Camera Apostolica, busta 546, Controversia coi veneziani sulla pesca nel Po di Corbola From about 1920 and until 1942, there was a shop in Ferrara, named "Nuta" from the nickname of the owner Benvenuta Ascoli, that processed all the sturgeons caught in the Po River for caviar extraction, using an elaboration of the original Messisbugo recipe, and shipped it to Italy and Europe. A new owner sporadically continued production until 1972, when the sturgeon stopped swimming up the Po River. Since 2015, some sturgeon have reappeared in the Po.{{cite web|url=http://www.wscs.info/news/news/sturgeon/big-sturgeon.aspx|title=Big sturgeon|first=Jam|last=Area|website=wscs.info}}

Currently, Italian caviar is obtained almost entirely from bred sturgeons. The caviar production is concentrated predominantly in Brescia, which is considered the capital of Italian caviar:{{cite news|url=http://www.quibrescia.it/cms/2015/03/26/e-brescia-la-capitale-mndiale-del-caviale/|title=È Brescia la capitale mondiale del caviale|language=it|trans-title=Brescia is the world capital of caviar|website=quibrescia.it |date=26 March 2015 |access-date= 7 September 2017}} in this area, in Calvisano, is located the world's largest sturgeon farm{{cite news|first=Jane|last=Black|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/26/world/americas/26iht-caviar.2943297.html?pagewanted=all|title=Caviar from farms instead of the seas|newspaper=The New York Times |date=26 September 2006 |access-date=7 September 2017}} that produces annually 25 tonnes of caviar. Italy is a top producer of caviar.{{cite web|url=http://www.agi.it/international/2016/04/05/news/forget_the_caspian_sea_italy_is_king_of_caviar-671166/|title=Forget the Caspian Sea, Italy is king of caviar|author=AGI|work=AGI|date=2016-04-05|access-date=7 September 2017}}

In the early 20th century, Canada and the United States were the major caviar suppliers to Europe; they harvested roe from the lake sturgeon in the North American Midwest, and from the shortnose sturgeon and the Atlantic sturgeon spawning in the rivers of the East Coast of the United States. The American caviar industry started when Henry Schacht, a German immigrant, opened a business catching sturgeon on the Delaware River. He treated his caviar with German salt and exported a great deal of it to Europe. Around the same time, sturgeon was fished from the Columbia River on the West Coast of the United States, also supplying caviar. American caviar was so plentiful at the time that it was given away at bars to induce or prolong patrons' thirst.{{cite web|url=http://whatscookingamerica.net/Glossary/C.htm|title=Culinary Dictionary – C, Food Dictionary|author=Linda Stradley|work=What's Cooking America|date=20 September 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://whatscookingamerica.net/caviar.htm|title=American Caviar – Think American Caviar!|author=Linda Stradley|work=What's Cooking America|date=2 April 2015 }}

Today, the shortnose sturgeon is rated Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of endangered species and rated Endangered per the Endangered Species Act. With the depletion of Caspian and Black Sea caviar, production of farmed or "sustainable" caviar[http://www.ifis.org/resources/features/sustainable-caviar-production-save-our-sturgeon!/ SUSTAINABLE CAVIAR PRODUCTION: SAVE OUR STURGEON!] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323165256/http://www.ifis.org/resources/features/sustainable-caviar-production-save-our-sturgeon%21 |date=23 March 2014 }} has greatly increased. In particular, northern California is reported to account for 70% to 80% of U.S. production.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2013-jan-18-la-fi-california-caviar-20130118-story.html|title=California caviar is big fish on this side of the pond|work=Los Angeles Times|date=18 January 2013 }}

In 2021, a significant illegal sturgeon egg harvesting and selling ring run in part by the former top sturgeon biologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was discovered and broken up by investigators.{{cite web|url=https://www.thenorthwestern.com/story/news/2021/07/23/winnebago-caviar-investigation-dnr-sturgeon-biologist-resigns/8067137002/|title=DNR's top sturgeon biologist resigns, fined $500 in Calumet County caviar investigation for lying to game warden|work=thenorthwestern.com|access-date=3 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731100113/https://www.thenorthwestern.com/story/news/2021/07/23/winnebago-caviar-investigation-dnr-sturgeon-biologist-resigns/8067137002/|archive-date=31 July 2021}}

In coastal British Columbia, Fraser River white sturgeon are sustainably farmed to produce caviar.{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-growth/the-challenge/bc-caviar-farmer-takes-over-where-russia-left-off/article22892191/|title=B.C. caviar farmer takes over where Russia left off|work=The Globe and Mail|date=11 February 2015|last1=Rockel|first1=Nick}}

File:Alcala de rio 001.jpg

The 17th-century book Don Quixote mentions "cavial"Don Quixote II, Chapter LIV: "They also put down a black dainty called, they say, caviar, and made of the eggs of fish, a great thirst-wakener."Don Quijote de la Mancha II, capítulo LIV {{in lang|es}}: "Pusieron asimismo un manjar negro que dicen que se llama cavial, y es hecho de huevos de pescados, gran despertador de la colambre." in a banquet of German pilgrims.

Until 1992, sturgeons and caviar were collected at the lower parts of rivers Guadalquivir, Ebro, Duero and Tajo.

From 1932 to 1970, the Ybarra family had a factory in Coria del Río.[http://www.diariodesevilla.es/vivirensevilla/caviar-Guadalquivir_0_484751780.html El caviar del Guadalquivir] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504092350/http://www.diariodesevilla.es/vivirensevilla/caviar-Guadalquivir_0_484751780.html |date=4 May 2018 }} {{in lang|es}}, Diario de Sevilla, 5 June 2011.

Overfishing, pollution and the Alcalá del Río dam eliminated the wild population of Acipenser naccarii.

In Spain, a fish farm called Caviar de Riofrío{{cite web|url=https://www.caviarderiofrio.com/|title=Tienda de caviar. Gourmet online. Comprar Caviar de Riofrío|website=Caviar de Riofrío}} produces organic caviar{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/ae/food/articles/2005/12/21/more_than_one_fish_egg_in_the_sea/?page=2|title=More than one fish egg in the sea|work=The Boston Globe}} at Loja, Granada, Andalusia.

As well with Canada and the United States, Uruguay has become a major producer and exporter.{{cite web|url=http://magazine.wsj.com/gatherer/the-specialist/caviar-dreams/|title=Uruguayan Aquaculture Farming Techniques Perfecting Caviar|work=The Wall Street Journal}}

Kibbutz Dan in Israel{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/culture/new-york-s-finest-caviar-all-the-way-from-a-socialist-kibbutz-in-northern-israel-1.426810|title=New York's finest caviar: All the way from a socialist kibbutz in northern Israel|date=27 April 2012|work=Haaretz}} produces four tons of caviar a year. The farm is fed by the Dan River, a tributary of the Jordan River.{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/caviar-israels-latest-weapon-iran/story?id=16522957|title=Caviar, Israel's Latest Weapon Against Iran|author=ABC News|work=ABC News}}

Madagascar is the first African country that produces and exports caviar since 2018.{{cite web|url=https://lexpress.mg/27/06/2018/produits-halieutiques-le-caviar-sur-le-marche-international/ |last=Ihariliva |first=Mirana |date=27 June 2018 |title=Produits halieutiques – le caviar sur le-marché international |work=L'Express |language=fr |access-date=28 December 2019}}

In Malaysia, caviar production is relatively new and smaller in scale. Caviar is harvested from farmed sturgeon fish in Tanjung Malim, Perak. The caviar produced here is marketed as "tropical caviar".{{cite web|url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/05/06/say-what-malaysia-is-producing-caviar/1750138 |title=Say what? Malaysia is producing caviar?|first=Kang Yi|last=Lee|date=6 May 2019|website=The Malay Mail}} The first Malaysian brand of tropical caviar was launched in March 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.star2.com/food/2019/09/12/malaysian-caviar-tlur/|title=Local luxury: Malaysia's first caviar brand, T'lur Caviar|first=Abirami|last=Durai|date=12 September 2019|website=star2.com}}

Overfishing, smuggling and pollution caused by sewage entry into the Caspian Sea have considerably reduced the sea's sturgeon population.{{cite journal |last1=van Uhm |first1=D.P. |last2=Siegel |first2=D. |title=The illegal trade in black caviar |journal=Trends in Organized Crime |year=2016 |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=67–87 |doi=10.1007/s12117-016-9264-5 |s2cid=155134345 |doi-access=free }}

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 was extended to include Beluga caviar from the entire Black Sea basin. In January 2006, the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) supported an international embargo on caviar export.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4577100.stm|title=Business – International caviar trade banned|date=3 January 2006|publisher=BBC}} In January 2007, this ban was partly lifted, allowing the sale of 96 tons of caviar, 15% below the official 2005 level.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6225723.stm|title=Science/Nature – UN lifts embargo on caviar trade|date=2 January 2007|publisher=BBC}} In July 2010, Russia and some other CIS countries restarted the export of caviar.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/kazakhstan/7908643/Caviar-producers-to-restart-wild-caviar-exports.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/kazakhstan/7908643/Caviar-producers-to-restart-wild-caviar-exports.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Caviar producers to restart wild caviar exports|publisher=The Daily Telegraph, UK|date=25 July 2010|access-date=1 July 2010 | location=London | first=Richard | last=Orange}}{{cbignore}} The 2010 quotas allow for the export of three tons of beluga, 17 tons of sevruga and 27 tons of osetra. In September 2010, Kazakhstan launched a state monopoly brand, Zhaik Balyk, from the Kazakh word for the Ural River. Under the CITES agreement, Kazakhstan was granted the right to produce 13 of the 80 tons allowed up until 28 February 2011.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/kazakhstan/8042351/Kazakhstan-launches-state-caviar-monopoly.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/kazakhstan/8042351/Kazakhstan-launches-state-caviar-monopoly.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Kazakhstan launches state caviar monopoly|publisher=The Daily Telegraph, UK|date=4 October 2010|access-date=4 October 2010 | location=London | first=Richard | last=Orange}}{{cbignore}}

File:Kaviar des Seehase (cropped).jpg]]

Commercial caviar production historically involved stunning the fish and extracting the ovaries. Another method of extracting caviar is by removing eggs through a small incision, which allows the female to continue producing roe.{{Cite news|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2005/10/how_do_they_harvest_caviar.html|title=How Do They Harvest Caviar?|last=Engber|first=Daniel|date=4 October 2015|work=Slate|access-date=14 November 2017|language=en-US|issn=1091-2339}} Other farmers use a process called "stripping", which extracts the caviar from the fish via a small incision made along the urogenital muscle when the fish is deemed to be ready to be processed. An ultrasound is used to determine the correct timing.[http://www.mottra.co.uk/ mottra.co.uk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227141546/http://www.mottra.co.uk/ |date=27 December 2009 }} – The link to the Latvian farm which pioneered commercial "stripping" in 2007{{cite news |first= John |last=Walsh |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/the-new-black-can-a-revolutionary-sustainable-caviar-make-the-grade-1792118.html |title=The new black: Can a revolutionary sustainable caviar make the grade? |work=The Independent|date=24 September 2009 |access-date=18 August 2012 }} Removing the caviar by massage may yield higher quality and a more sustainable source.

Preparation follows a sequence that has not significantly changed over the last century. First, the ovaries are removed from a sedated female sturgeon and passed through a sieve to remove the membrane. Freed roes are rinsed to wash away impurities. Roes are now ready to become caviar by adding a precise amount of salt for taste and preservation. The fresh product is tasted and graded according to quality. Finally, the eggs are packed into lacquer-lined tins that will be further processed or sold directly to customers.{{cite news|first=James |last=Welch |url=http://caviarbase.com/caviar-production/ |title=Caviar Production |publisher=caviarbase.com |date=22 March 2014 |access-date=23 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323105807/http://caviarbase.com/caviar-production/ |archive-date=23 March 2014 }}

File:Seven types of caviar.jpgs]]

A sturgeon caviar imitation is a black or red-coloured lumpsucker caviar sold throughout Europe in small glass jars.

In Sweden and Finland, the roes of many fish species, including vendace, burbot, salmon and common whitefish, are also commonly eaten in a similar manner as caviar. However, they are not caviar 'substitutes' but are enjoyed in their own right.

Spherification of liquids with alginate (a seaweed polysaccharide) is used to recreate caviar's texture. With liquids flavored to resemble caviar, one obtains kosher and vegan caviar substitutes. They resemble beluga caviar in appearance and are either used as a food prop for television and film or enjoyed by vegetarians and other people worldwide.{{cite web|url=http://www.vegancaviar.com/|title=Vegan Caviar, Seaweed Caviar, Vegetarian Caviar :: Buy Vegan Gourmet Food|author=Vegan Caviar|work=vegancaviar.com}}{{cite web |url=http://www.caviarkelp.com/the-process/ |title=Kelp Caviar How It's Made! » Kelp Caviar |access-date=2013-02-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202231718/http://www.caviarkelp.com/the-process/ |archive-date=2 February 2013}}

In Scandinavia, a type of sandwich spread is available, made from smoked cod roe and other ingredients, which is referred to as smörgåskaviar (meaning "sandwich caviar"). Outside Scandinavia, the product is referred to as creamed smoked roe or in French as Caviar de Lysekil.

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Caviar is highly perishable and must be kept refrigerated until consumption.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-29 |title=How to Store Caviar to Maintain Freshness |url=https://imperiacaviar.com/blogs/blog/how-long-does-caviar-last |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=Imperia Caviar}}

Caviar is 48% water, 25% protein, 18% fats, and 4% carbohydrates.{{cite web|title= Fish, caviar, black and red, granular|url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174188/nutrients|publisher=FoodData Central, US Department of Agriculture|accessdate=18 August 2022|date=1 April 2019}}

In a common serving amount of 16 grams (one tablespoon), caviar supplies 44 kilocalories of food energy, 53% of the Daily Value (DV) of vitamin B12, and moderate amounts (10-15% DV) of sodium, iron, magnesium, and selenium, with no other micronutrients in significant content.{{cite web |title=Fish, caviar, black and red, granular; one tablespoon, 16 g |url=https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/finfish-and-shellfish-products/4038/2 |publisher=Nutritiondata.com, Conde Nast from the US Department of Agriculture |access-date=18 August 2022 |date=2018}}

{{Portal|Food}}

• List of hors d'oeuvre
• Snail caviar
• Caviar diplomacy

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book |last1=Ayto |first1=John |title=The Diner's Dictionary: Word Origin of Food and Drink |date=2013 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=9780199640249 |edition=2nd |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199990009.001.0001/acref-9780199990009-e-2058}}
• {{cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=Alan |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |date=2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-967733-7|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Oxford_Companion_to_Food/RL6LAwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 |language=en}}
• {{cite book |last1=Goldstein |first1=Darra |authorlink1=Darra Goldstein |title=The Kingdom of Rye: A Brief History of Russian Food |date=24 May 2022 |publisher=Univ of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-38390-6 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Kingdom_of_Rye/ZUhbEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 |language=en}}
• {{cite book |last1=Patterson |first1=K. David |editor-last1=Kiple |editor-first1=Kenneth F. |editor-last2=Ornelas |editor-first2=Kriemhild Coneè |title=The Cambridge World History of Food: Volume 1 and 2 |date=2000 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=978-0521402163 |chapter=Russia |pp=1240–1247}}
• {{cite book |last1=Talbot Rice |first1=Tamara |authorlink1=Tamara Talbot Rice |title=Everyday Life in Byzantium |date=1967 |publisher=Hippocrene Books |location=London}}

• Peter G. Rebeiz, Caviar – a magic history, {{ISBN|978-88-6373-103-3}}, [http://www.sagep.it/easyStore/SchedeVedi.asp?IDCatSchede=1923 Sagep Editori] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722051751/http://www.sagep.it/easyStore/SchedeVedi.asp?IDCatSchede=1923 |date=22 July 2011 }}, Genova, Italy, 2010.

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{{EB1911 poster|Caviare}}

• [http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article.php?id=156&title=Caviar Cooking For Engineers: Caviar, 2006]
• [http://www.azer.com/aiweb/categories/magazine/23_folder/23_articles/23_caviar.html Caspian caviar in peril, 1994]
• [http://rbth.ru/articles/2011/02/15/russian_caviar_an_old_fish_learns_some_new_tricks_12463.html Russian caviar: an old fish learns some new tricks, 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120711112405/http://rbth.ru/articles/2011/02/15/russian_caviar_an_old_fish_learns_some_new_tricks_12463.html |date=11 July 2012 }}

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