Caviar

Pêche, traitement, qualité, étiquetage et emballage, stockage, conservation, préparation culinaire, tous les éléments techniques sont ici exposés.

The best and most expensive caviar uses eggs from sturgeons caught in the Caspian Sea. But eggs from many other fish species have been used to develop products imitating original caviar. By utilizing processes appropriate for each kind of fish, it is possible to make a similar, though imitation, product. This publication presents an overview of the production of lumpfish eggs as a model for developing fish caviar. It describes fishing methods, preservation and storage of the eggs, as well as details on the caviar production process itself to obtain the final product. Production and marketing statistics demonstrate the extent of the global lumpfish caviar business. The publication draws heavily on source material from Iceland.

In the tradition of Cod and Olives: a fascinating journey into the hidden history, culture, and commerce of caviar. Once merely a substitute for meat during religious fasts, today caviar is an icon of luxury and wealth. In Caviar, Inga Saffron tells, for the first time, the story of how the virgin eggs of the prehistoric-looking, bottom-feeding sturgeon were transformed from a humble peasant food into a czar’s delicacy–and ultimately a coveted status symbol for a rising middle class. She explores how the glistening black eggs became the epitome of culinary extravagance, while taking us on a revealing excursion into the murky world of caviar on the banks of the Volga River and Caspian Sea in Russia, the Elbe in Europe, and the Hudson and Delaware Rivers in the United States. At the same time, Saffron describes the complex industry caviar has spawned, illustrating the unfortunate consequences of mass marketing such a rare commodity. The story of caviar has long been one of conflict, crisis, extravagant claims, and colorful characters, such as the Greek sea captain who first discovered the secret method of transporting the perishable delicacy to Europe, the canny German businessmen who encountered a wealth of untapped sturgeon in American waters, the Russian Communists who created a sophisticated cartel to market caviar to an affluent Western clientele, the dirt-poor poachers who eked out a living from sturgeon in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse and the “caviar Mafia” that has risen in their wake, and the committed scientists who sacrificed their careers to keep caviar on our tables. Filled with lore and intrigue, Caviar is a captivating work of culinary, natural, and cultural history.

It would be easy to write caviar off as an out-of-date and unsustainable indulgence, but the story is far more interesting and complex than that. Fourteen years on from her original publication, Nichola Fletcher, MBE, has brought the expanding world of caviar right up to date in this gem of a book. Her engaging writing has won her many awards including, for the first edition of this book, being co-winner of the coveted André Simon Award. The story of caviar is one of greed, indulgence, enterprise, and despair, but ultimately one of hope, with sustainable caviar now readily available. How did the humble fish eggs of Caspian fishermen become such an international symbol of luxury and decadence? Looking back to its heyday in Tsarist Russia, America, and Europe in the Roaring Twenties, Nichola seeks out the colorful characters who played their part. She investigates the declining wild sturgeon population – a story that is a microcosm of overfishing all over the world. But the work of conservationists now gives optimism, and the worldwide spread of sustainable caviar production means that it is now possible to enjoy caviar with a clear environmental conscience. Finally, there is sound guidance on choosing from the many different kinds of caviar as well as advice on how best to serve and cook with this ultimate indulgence.

The digest contains descriptions of 21 patents related to the processing and salting of sturgeon caviar (mainly ovulated, i.e. obtained in vivo), registered at different times in Russia. The materials of the digest are divided into four chapters. The first section contains descriptions of the methods for pretreating ovulated eggs (without salting), including two methods of preparing the so-called raw caviar, intended for long-term storage, followed by transfer to the caviar factory. The second section is devoted to the description of the methods for salting ovulated caviar with the preparation of granular or pressed caviar, both without the use of preserving agent or with the use of various preserve substance. The third section provides methods for processing non-ovulated caviar, and the fourth section contains a description of some preserving agents and how to use them. The materials of the digest can be used both for organizing independent processing of caviar by novice sturgeon farms, and for optimizing the technological process at existing caviar production facilities.