The Legacy of Persian Caviar

Caviar's legacy begins in ancient Persia, where the shores of the Caspian Sea provided an abundant source of sturgeon.The Persians were among the first to harvest and savor sturgeon roe, referring to it as "khav-yar," meaning "cake of strength" or "bearing eggs" . Esteemed not only for its taste, caviar was believed to possess medicinal properties and was consumed by Persian aristocracy as a symbol of vitality and prosperity.

The Sturgeon

Sturgeons belong to the class of marine life who seek freshwater tributaries and ascend rivers to spawn. They are extremely long-lived, with lifespans averaging 50-60 years, while occurrences of 100 year+ lifespans being quite common. This results in sturgeons being late-maturing, with their first spawn only occurring after 5-20 years. This evidently explains caviar’s highly coveted nature as a culinary ingredient.

Physically holding the position as the largest type of sturgeon, the Beluga is simultaneously the only predatory member of its family. The nomadic Beluga is remarkably strong and large mouthed, relentlessly following the shoals of whitefish it considers prey.

These impressive creatures can measure up to 6 meters in length and weigh up to 1000kg. The average Beluga specimen yields roughly 15% of its body weight in caviar.

Baerii caviar, the much more readily found and available caviar, comes from the sturgeon referred to as the Siberian Sturgeon. Originating from Lake Baikal, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, the caviar harvested from the Siberian Sturgeon is actually much smaller. With its colour ranging more towards refined dark brown hues, Baerii caviar provides an affordable alternative to the Beluga.

On the other hand, typically found only once amongst one million Beluga sturgeon, is the Albino Beluga sturgeon which produces what is known as Almas caviar. Almas, in the Persian language, translates quite literally to uncut diamond, referring to its appearance of an unpolished diamond. The legend states that when a Beluga sturgeon comes to the surface of the Caspian Sea it is struck by lighting, instantly turning its eggs into diamonds.

In truth, a genetic disorder affects its production of melanin, hence leading to its ultra rare pigment. This specimen is often close to 100 years old when its eggs are harvested, naturally making it the most sought after and valuable caviar.