The history of caviar

What is caviar?

Sturgeon caviar is extracted from various fish, and sold. This precious roe has a great value in history. In the centuries before Christ, the Medes, an Iranian tribe, fished sturgeon from the Caspian Sea, extracted their caviar and took it to their kings. Caviar, this royal food, has a delicious taste. Today, after thousands of years, the method has changed, sturgeon are farmed only sustainably and the processing and sale of caviar takes place under strict regulations.

Exquisit Caviar, one of the most famous caviar companies in the world, sells this valuable product in a exquisite packaging. Each sturgeon produces its own caviar, and getting to know them may be a great help in choosing the right caviar.

Sturgeons

Sturgeon is common name for 27 species of fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae.  The family is grouped into four genera: Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus and Pseudoscaphirhynchus.  Sturgeons are long-lived, late-maturing fish with distinctive characteristics, such as a heterocercal caudal fin similar to those of sharks, and an elongated, spindle-like body that is smooth-skinned, scaleless, and armored with five lateral rows of bony plates called scutes.  And these species of aquatic animals are bred due to the production of caviar. Caviar is actually a sturgeon egg. And the value of this product in the global market is very high.

History of caviar breeding

In the late 1990s, there was very limited information on sturgeon farming.

Sturgeon breeding in farms in weights over one and a half kilograms for human consumption seems to be the primary goal of sturgeon breeding development. The former Soviet Union was the first country to take the first steps towards raising sturgeon in farms. The country focused its efforts on breeding crossbred fish from the crossbreeding of female Beluga, male sterlet and Siberian sturgeon. Subsequent successful sturgeon breeding efforts took place in France and the United States. In France, most activity has shifted to Siberian sturgeon, while the United States has prioritized comprehensive research on its native species, especially the white sturgeon A transmontanus.

In recent years, especially after the sharp increase in the price of caviar in world markets, after 1995, a new phase began for the breeding of fish in the respective areas. Countries such as Italy, Iran, France, the United States and China have taken the lead accordingly. It can be observed that the decline of natural resources has led to an increase in prices in the global market of farmed meat and caviar. Sturgeon farming is also developing rapidly in countries such as China and Japan in Asia, Uruguay and Mexico in South America. In view of these facts, production in breeding facilities has increased from 150 tons of meat in 1984 to more than 25,000 tons in 2007.

Today in the caviar industry in the world. Exquisit Caviar, a wholesaler from Hamburg offers only handpicked caviar of the highest quality grade. The company distributes BELUGA, HYBRID GOLD, OSCIETRA, BAERI and STERLET CAVIAR in stylish packaging. Exquisit Caviar, based in the Hanseatic city of Hamburg, is proud to have various satisfied customers, including star restaurants, airlines, delicatessens and more. The different varieties of caviar can be ordered directly from the website’s online store.