Caviar is a salty (& incredibly expensive) delicacy. Caviar is basically unfertilized fish eggs or salt-cured roe belonging to the family Acipenseridae. Caviar is usually extracted from wild sturgeon found in the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. It is used as a garnish, spread, or eaten as is. Let’s find out, Why Is Caviar So Expensive?
Origin and History:
It is said to have originated in Iran. The word ‘caviar’ has been derived from the Persian word, ‘havia’ meaning ‘fish roe’ and the earliest mention of this delicacy dates back to around the year 1591. Another account also says that a Russian and a Persian fisherman came up with this delicacy while they were away at the Black Sea. Regardless of its origin, Caviar is enjoyed by people all over the world.
Price of Caviar in the USA:
30 grams of Caviar could cost anywhere between $65-$150 in the US, and there are several varieties that are much more expensive. 30 grams of caviar would be just over an ounce, and could probably serve as a few bites for two people. In the US, caviar from the beluga hybrid species is only available for sale, as the government made it illegal to import beluga caviar/beluga sturgeon in the country (due to the endangered status of the animal).
According to Guinness World Records, Iranian white caviar called the Almas Caviar from the Iranian beluga is the most expensive food in the world, costing about $30,000 per kilo. Another more accessible variety of caviar is still amongst the eight most expensive foods in the world, let’s explore why.
There are a few components that factor into the cost of caviar around the world:
The type/species of fish and its availability:
The type of fish from which the salted roe is extracted is a huge factor in deciding the price of the caviar. The purest and most desired caviar (also referred to as, ‘true caviar’) is extracted from the sturgeon, which is an endangered species now, hence caviar from this fish is incredibly rare. The scarcer the source is, the more exclusive its product will be, and thus, the more expensive it will be. Over-exploitation of the Acipenseridae family has led the Union for Conservation of Nature to name 18 species of the family to be placed on the Red List of Endangered Species. Other than the over-exploitation, other factors like pollution and global warming have led to the destruction of the animal’s natural habitat. The breeding of the fish is heavily regulated by several agencies, thus the production is more controlled, limiting the amount of caviar produced.
Time is taken for the production:
Sturgeon and other fish can lay millions of eggs at a time but, not all of them survive up to adulthood. Sturgeon is said to take about 3 times as long to reproduce as any other fish like salmon. The generational length of the sturgeon or roe-producing fish is around 8-12 years. The female fish could take anywhere between a couple of years to over a decade to sexually mature and lay eggs. Moreover, the quality of the caviar depends highly on the time the roe was harvested, if harvested at a slightly wrong time, it could lead to the production of inferior quality roe, which then affects the profits. Overall, the whole process is quite strenuous for the roe-cultivators with the waiting and the accuracy in harvesting. All the physical strain does affect the prices.
The process of harvesting and manufacturing:
As mentioned above, the process is pretty lengthy even after the roe matures with a lot of work of washing, cleaning, inspecting, aging, and curing the roe, all of which demand labor and money. Most of the extraction process is done by hand as it is extremely delicate. In addition to that, after waiting for over a decade for the roe to mature, the farmer has to kill the fish to obtain the roe. Nowadays, more ethical ways of obtaining the roe have been introduced, where the farmer doesn’t have to kill the fish. However, the quality of the roe is somewhat inferior to that of the roe extracted using traditional methods. Then, once the roe is extracted, the unsalted roe has to be taken care of extremely well and raw roe could get contaminated easily. All of these steps, along with the manual labor, increase the cost of production of caviar.
Salted roe’s quality:
Salted roe’s quality majorly depends on the fish it was extracted from. The quality is the one extracted from a sturgeon. However, more factors like color, firmness, uniformity, fragrance, and flavor are also taken into account before there are salt-cured. Then they are graded based on the factors mentioned above, thus marking the quality of the salted roe. Cheaper caviar usually tends to fall into the B-Grade category as the beads are often wetter, smaller, and less firm.
Supply and demand:
The price of caviar also depends on the market and its demand for the product. Since caviar was majorly consumed by the royalty in Imperial Russia, it is a symbol of royalty and wealth. Thus, it is always in demand as a status symbol. It also has a distinct flavor that cannot be replicated by anything else, which drives more people towards it, despite its cost. Moreover, with the rise of social media throughout the world, people watch others try different types of food on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter which then becomes a trend and causes more attention to be drawn to ‘exotic’ foods. All this demand, paired with the scarce supply, keeps the prices of caviar up throughout the year.
Shelf-life:
Fresh caviar has a short shelf life. An unopened can of caviar can stay in the refrigerator for 4-6 weeks. But once opened, it should be consumed within 5 days or it could go bad and lead to food poisoning. Cheaper versions of caviar contain preservatives to increase their shelf-life but they never taste like the true caviar that people have come to love. The limited shelf-life also contributes to the price of the roe.
Cheapest Caviar:
We know the white caviar extracted from the Iranian sturgeon is the most expensive caviar in the world, but what’s the cheapest one?
The cheapest caviar is the one that is extracted from lumpfish and tobiko and costs about $1-$2 per ounce. The Hackleback caviar is the most affordable caviar that has a flavor profile that comes somewhat close to that of ‘true-caviar’ and is sold for about $35-$40 per oz.
FAQ
1) What are the nutritional benefits of eating caviar?
– Caviar is incredibly calorie-dense and an amazing source of omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, Vitamins A, B12, B6, D, and C, Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, and amino acids like Lysine and Methionine.
2) Is caviar cooked?
– Caviar is salt-cured, not cooked. The salt-curing method adds a depth of flavor along with preserving it.
3) Who is the biggest producer of Caviar?
– China.
