What is caviar? Caviar is one of the most expensive foods in the world. Caviar is essentially fish eggs.
Caviar consists of fish eggs, and not all fish eggs can be considered caviar. Caviar comes from the sturgeon fish. Sturgeon fish are typically found in rivers and freshwater lakes in Eastern Europe and Russia. However, they can now also be found in lakes and rivers in America.
Only fish eggs from sturgeon fish can be called caviar, while eggs from other fish are referred to as roe. The orange and red fish eggs you eat at Japanese restaurants are fish roe or ‘Tobiko’ in Japanese. If you buy them at the market, they are fish eggs .
The process of making caviar is quite simple. After obtaining the fish eggs, they are cleaned and separated. Then, they are mixed with salt in specific proportions and left to mature.
Some famous types of caviar include Beluga, Ossetra, and Sevruga. The price of caviar can reach hundreds or thousands of ringgit. The price of 30g of Beluga Caviar in Malaysia is RM958 (Shopee). Imagine the cost in a luxurious restaurant.
Why is caviar expensive? Caviar is expensive due to the slow growth of sturgeon fish. To obtain quality caviar, sturgeon fish need to reach maturity at 15-20 years.
How to eat caviar? Caviar is a type of appetizer or palate opener. It is served in a chilled container along with onions, boiled eggs, and bread. Caviar can also be eaten on its own. The rule for caviar is not to use a metal spoon, as it is said to alter the taste and quality of the caviar. Therefore, people typically use spoons made of bone or non-metal materials.
The most basic way to eat caviar is to scoop up a spoonful of caviar and place it between the thumb and forefinger, then directly put it in your mouth.