INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION ON CAVIAR
WHAT IS CAVIAR, ANYWAY?
Legally, only sturgeon eggs (roe) may be labeled caviar, a word derived from the Turkish havyar, which means "egg." Back in the thirteenth century, when the Russians first made caviar, they named the biggest of their sturgeon beluga; the middle-size, osetra; and the smallest, sevruga. (A fourth, the sterlet, which yields the "golden" caviar hoarded by shahs and czars throughout history, is so rare that only billionaires need bother with it.)
[KA-vee-ahr, KAH-vee-ahr]
This elegant and expensive appetizer is
simply sieved and lightly salted fish ROE (eggs). Sturgeon roe is premium
and considered the "true" caviar. The three main types of caviar are beluga,
osetra and sevruga. The best (and costliest) is from the beluga sturgeon
that swim in the Caspian Sea, which is bordered by Russia and Iran. Caviar
production is a major industry for both countries. Beluga caviar is prized
for its soft, extremely large (pea-size) eggs. It can range in color from
pale silver-gray to black. Next in quality is the medium-sized, gray to
brownish gray osetra, and the smaller, gray sevruga caviar. The small,
golden sterlet caviar is so rare that it was once reserved for Russian
czars, Iranian shahs and Austrian emperors. Other popular (and much less
expensive) types include lumpfish caviar (tiny, hard, black eggs), whitefish
caviar (also called American Golden ) with its small yellow-gold eggs and
salmon or red caviar (medium-size, pale orange to deep red eggs). The word
malossol on the label doesn't describe the type of caviar but rather
the fact that the roe is preserved with a minimum amount of salt; malossol
is Russian for "little salt." Caviar is extremely perishable and must be
refrigerated from the moment it's taken from the fish to the time it's
consumed. Pasteurized caviar is roe that has been partially cooked, thereby
giving the eggs a slightly different texture. It's less perishable and
may not require refrigeration before opening. Pressed caviar is composed
of damaged or fragile eggs and can be a combination of several different
roes. It's specially treated, salted and pressed, and can in no way be
compared to fresh caviar. Be sure to read the label for information on
how to handle the caviar you purchase. Although only a spoonful of caviar
supplies the adult daily requirement of vitamin B-12, it's also high in
cholesterol and loaded with salt. Serve caviar very cold, preferably in
a bowl that has been set into another container of ice. It should be presented
simply, with toast points and lemon wedges. If desired, it may be garnished
with sour cream, minced onion, and hard-cooked egg whites and yolks. Two
classic caviar accompaniments are iced vodka and champagne.
Based on THE FOOD LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd
edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.
WHERE IT COMES FROM ...
Among the world's two dozen or so sturgeon
species in the world, those that really matter to caviar are all found
in the Caspian, which borders Iran on the south and Russia and Kazakhstan
on the north. To become caviar, sturgeon roe has to be rubbed gently on
screens to separate it from other tissues, and then salt-cured. It is a
delicate process. The roe must be kept cold enough (28 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit)
to ensure that the fine sheen of fat surrounding each egg, or "berry,"
remains fresh. Freezing, however, will cause the berries to burst, so salt
must be added to preserve the eggs and prevent them from accidentally freezing.
It is equally important not too add too much salt or the flavor of the
roe will be overwhelmed. This is why premium caviar is always labeled malossol,
Russian for "lightly salted." Today, caviar from the Caspian is something
of an endangered species in this country. Poaching of sturgeon, overfishing,
and polluting of the Caspian has increased in recent years, while the continuing
American trade embargo against Iran has made the former Soviet Union our
only source. That's too bad for caviar lovers — Iranian waters are deeper
and colder and their regulations are tighter, resulting in a far higher
quality of caviar. Most connoisseurs would agree, and will happily pay
15 to 20 percent more to get their hands on caviar from Iran.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations has lots of information about caviar and
laws controlling its import and export on
its website in the Fisheries Department
section. Browse this section for statistics and facts about the
world caviar trade.
United States Food and Drug Administration
From "Requirements of Laws and Regulations Enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration"
Caviar and Fish Roe
The name "caviar" unqualified may be applied
only to the eggs of the sturgeon prepared by a special process. Fish roe
prepared from the eggs of other varieties of fish and prepared by the special
process for caviar must be labeled to show the name of the fish from which
they are prepared, for example, "whitefish caviar." All words in the name
should be in type of substantially the same size and prominence. If the
product contains an artificial color, it must be an approved color and
its presence must be stated on the label conspicuously. No artificial color
should be used which makes the product appear to be better or of greater
value than it is. The label should bear a statement of ingredients listed
by their common or usual names in descending order of predominance because
no standard of identity has been established for any form of caviar.
The US Fish & Wildlife Service covers
sturgeon and caviar in the United States, and partners with other organizations
worldwide to protect endangered sturgeon and paddlefish. The Service's
Endangered
Species Listing Program provides information about caviar, paddlefish,
and sturgeon.
Read about conservation efforts in Alabama
to protect Alabama sturgeon. A hot topic at the moment is the use
of DNA testing to determine whether or not a certain species of fish can
be called paddlefish, and whether its eggs can thus be called caviar.
The Green Lane - Environment Canada's Official Website
Links here to Canadian Environmental Law
Enforcement and other agencies dealing with import and export of caviar
to and from Canada and Canadian waters.
Information for US Military Personnel on importing Caviar
Stationed overseas and moving to the States? Start preparing now, customs officials advise. Find new homes for the things that are banned from import and apply now for import permits on restricted items since the process can take months.
"Prohibited items include plants, flammable substances, poisons, obscene publications, destructive devices, explosives, and meat and meat products such as sausage, paté and salami," said Michael L. Burkert, customs program manager for the U.S. European Command. Prescription drugs and tobacco products are not allowed in your household goods but may be carried onto the plane when you fly home. "Shipping firearms? Ensure you have proof that you owned them in the States or an import permit," Burkert added. You will have to arrange to ship vehicles not made to U.S. standards through a commercial importer registered with the Department of Transportation. Mopeds and motorcycles must also meet U.S. safety and pollution standards and be free of dirt. Endangered species items such as ivory may not be shipped unless you can prove you owned them previously in the USA. Caviar may only be shipped in your household goods if you can prove it was exported legally from the country of origin. Your state attorney general must approve all imports of gambling devices that must also be registered with the Justice Department in Washington.
Need more details? Get the "Highlights
for Government Personnel" pamphlet from a military customs office or
check out the military customs Web site at www.hqusareur.army.mil/opm/customs.htm.
CITES - CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FLORA AND FAUNA
Known as CITES, the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, entered into force
on 1 July 1975 and now has a membership of 152 countries. These countries
act by banning commercial international trade in an agreed list of endangered
species and by regulating and monitoring trade in others that might become
endangered. CITES' aims are major components of Caring for the Earth, a
Strategy for Sustainable Living, launched in 1991 by UNEP - the United
Nations Environment Programme, IUCN - The World Conservation Union and
WWF - the World Wide Fund for Nature. CITES has a huge searchable database
on endangered species, and lots of information about sturgeon and caviar.
As of April 1, 1998, all sturgeon and paddlefish species worldwide are
covered under the provisions of CITES.
This web guide was created by Virginia M.Dilworth, graduate student, for CLIS 736 at the College of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina in December 2000. Direct comments and questions to j_dilworth@hotmail.com