Distinguish from Kavya, which is an Indian name and a Sanskrit literary style.

Iranian Beluga Caviar from Petrossian

Caviar is the processed, salted roe of certain species of fish, most notably the sturgeon. It is commercially marketed worldwide as a delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or a spread; for example, with hors d'œuvres. Caviar is a pop rock band from Chicago, Illinois. ... Kavya is a popular first name for an Indian girl. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Salmon roe at the Shiogama seafood market in Japan Look up Roe in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Fish (disambiguation). ... Sturgeon is a term for a genus of fish (Acipenser) of which 26 species are known. ... Look up delicacy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Crudités variés, a typical hors dÅ“uvre in French cuisine Hors dÅ“uvre, (IPA: French but often in English as ; French plural: hors dÅ“uvre, without an extra s; English plural often hors dÅ“uvres), also known as appetizer(s), refer to the food served before or outside...

Etymology

The word caviar entered English from Turkish,^[1] but there are various purported etymologies of the word. While some claim that it was the Turkish who first generated the word khavyar, some say it derives from the Persian word خاگ‌آور (Xâg-âvar), meaning "the roe-generator"; others say chav-jar, which means "cake of power", a reference to the ancient Persian practice of eating caviar in stick form as a kind of elixir. ^[2] “Farsi” redirects here. ... This article is about the Persian people, an ethnic group found mainly in Iran. ...

In Persian, the word refers to both the sturgeon and its roe; in Russian, the word икра (ikra), "roe", is used. The Russian word "malossol" ("little salt") sometimes appears on caviar tins to show that the caviar is minimally salted; typically, caviar is 4% to 8% salt, with the better-brand varieties generally being less salted.

Varieties

Caviar selection at the Yeliseyev food store on Nevsky Prospekt

Contemporary black caviar is roe from sturgeon fished from the Caspian Sea by Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Kazakhstan. The highest prices paid are for the Beluga, Ossetra, and Sevruga varieties. (The large-grained Beluga caviar is from the Beluga sturgeon, a fish which is unrelated to the Beluga whale, a mammal.) The golden Sterlet caviar was once a favorite of czars, shahs, and emperors. Currently, the dwindling fishing yields consequent to overfishing and pollution have resulted in the creation of less costly, though popular, caviar-quality roe alternatives from the whitefish and the North Atlantic salmon. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Nevsky Prospekt, or the Neva Avenue (Russian: Невский проспект), is the main street in the city of St Petersburg. ... The Caspian Sea (Russian: Каспийское море; Kazakh: Каспий теңізі; Turkmen: Hazar deňizi; Azeri: XÉ™zÉ™r dÉ™nizi; Persian: دریای خزر Daryā-ye Khazar) is the largest lake on Earth by area[2], with a surface area of 371,000 square kilometers (143,244 sq mi) and a volume of 78,200 cubic kilometers (18... A can of Beluga caviar from Iran Beluga caviar consists of the roe (or eggs) of the Beluga sturgeon found primarily in the Caspian Sea. ... Ossetra (Osetra or Asetra) caviar comes from the Ossetra sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), weighing 50-400 pounds, and which can live up to 50 years. ... Sevruga is one of the highest priced varieties of caviar, eclipsed in cost only by the Beluga variety. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article refers to the whale, beluga. ... // Sterlets and their albinos The sterlet is a common sturgeon found in aquarist stores. ... Tsar, (Bulgarian цар�, Russian царь; often spelled Czar or Tzar in English), was the title used for the autocratic rulers of the First and Second Bulgarian Empires since 913, in Serbia in the middle of the 14th century, and in Russia from 1547 to 1917. ... Shah or Shahzad is a Persian term for a monarch (ruler) that has been adopted in many other languages. ... An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. ... × The Traffic Light colour convention, showing the concept of Harvest Control Rule (HCR), specifying when a rebuilding plan is mandatory in terms of precautionary and limit reference points for spawning biomass and fishing mortality rate. ... It has been suggested that Pollutant be merged into this article or section. ... Species See text. ... For other uses, see Atlantic (disambiguation) The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... Illustration of a male Coho Salmon The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest salmon in North America and can grow to 1. ...

Ecology

In the early 1900s, Canada and the United States were the major caviar suppliers to Europe; they harvested roe from the lake sturgeon in the North American midwest, and from the Shortnose sturgeon and the Atlantic sturgeon spawning in the rivers of the Eastern coast of the United States. Today, however, the Shortnose sturgeon is rated Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of endangered species and rated Endangered per the U.S. Endangered Species Act. // Public flight demonstration of an airplane by Alberto Santos-Dumont in Paris, November 12, 1906. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Acipenser fulvescens ( Rafinesque, 1817) The lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is a North American temperate freshwater fish, one of about 20 species of sturgeon. ... Binomial name Lesueur, 1818 A shortnose sturgeon at the surface The shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) is a small North American sturgeon known to occur in 16 to 19 large river and estuary systems along the Atlantic seaboard from the Saint John River in New Brunswick, Canada, to the St. ... The Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus oxyrinchus) is a member of the Acipenseridae family and is among one of the oldest fish species in the world. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

In Spain a fish farm called Caviar de Riofrio has begun to produce organic caviar. The company raises sturgeon in such a way that it has earned organic certification by CITES.^[3] The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between Governments, drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). ...

Current aquaculture of sturgeon is an economically viable means of sustainable, commercial caviar production, especially in Spain, France, Uruguay, and California.^[4] Hackleback caviar is a popular, inexpensive product of this industry. Paddlefish, a sturgeon cousin, is also farmed in increasing numbers. Workers harvest catfish from the Delta Pride Catfish farms in Mississippi General Agribusiness · Agriculture Agricultural science · Agronomy Animal husbandry Challenges of industrial farming Extensive farming Factory farming · Free range Green Revolution History of agriculture Industrial agriculture Industrial agriculture (animals) Industrial agriculture (crops) Intensive farming · Organic farming Permaculture Sustainable agriculture Zero... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Binomial name (Rafinesque, 1820) The shovelnose sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus platorynchus, is a species of sturgeon native to the United States of America. ... Species Genus Polyodon   Polyodon spathula Genus Psephurus   Psephurus gladius Paddlefish (family Polyodontidae) are primitive Chondrostian ray-finned fishes. ...

Recently, the amount of allowed wild fish harvesting has been decreased, consequently increasing caviar prices. In September 2005, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service banned the import of Caspian Sea Beluga caviar, to protect the endangered Beluga sturgeon; a month later, the ban included Beluga caviar from the entire Black Sea basin. In January 2006, CITES, the convention for trade in endangered species, announced they were "unable to approve the [caviar] export quotas" for 2006 from wild fish stocks.^[5] In January 2007, this ban was partly lifted, allowing the sale of 96 tons of caviar, 15% below the official 2005 level.^[6] The USFWS logo The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to managing and preserving wildlife. ... The Caspian Sea (Russian: Каспийское море; Kazakh: Каспий теңізі; Turkmen: Hazar deňizi; Azeri: XÉ™zÉ™r dÉ™nizi; Persian: دریای خزر Daryā-ye Khazar) is the largest lake on Earth by area[2], with a surface area of 371,000 square kilometers (143,244 sq mi) and a volume of 78,200 cubic kilometers (18... For other uses, see Black Sea (disambiguation). ... The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between Governments, drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). ...

Production

Caviar is traditionally served with horn, wood, gold, nacre, or plastic utensils. [1] Commercial caviar production normally needs stunning the fish (usually by clubbing its head) and extracting the ovaries; some commercial fish farmers are experimenting with surgically removing roe from living sturgeon, allowing the females to continue producing more roe during their lives. Highland cow, a very old long-horned breed from Scotland. ... For other uses, see Wood (disambiguation). ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... Nacre, also known as mother of pearl, is a naturally-occurring organic-inorganic composite. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Human female internal reproductive anatomy Ovaries are a part of a female organism that produces eggs. ...

Alternatives and imitation

Typical Swedish sandwich with hard-boiled eggs and cod roe caviar from a tube

In Scandinavia, a significantly cheaper version of caviar, made from smoked cod roe, is sold in tubes as a sandwich filling. Black and red colored lumpsucker caviars are sold in small glass jars to make a tasty and cheap replacement for sturgeon caviar. Caviars from the burbot, the vendace, and the common whitefish are available in Finland, in their natural form, as an alternative to sturgeon caviar. Some gourmets regard burbot caviar as a delicacy outranking Beluga caviar in taste and flavour^{[citation needed]}, at a fraction of the price. The retail price of burbot caviar in Finland is about 30 €/kg.^{[citation needed]}. In the vegetarian foodstuffs market, soy-based imitation caviar is produced and sold as a caviar alternative. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 326 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Swedish cuisine Caviar Boiled eggs Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 326 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Swedish cuisine Caviar Boiled eggs Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Scandinavia is a historical and geographical region centered on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe which includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. ... the world is coming to the end!!!!! cod is going to eat up alive and do us hard up the emmm. ... Genera Aptocyclus Cyclopsis Cyclopteropsis Cyclopterus Eumicrotremus Lethotremus Lumpsuckers or Lumpfish are mostly small scorpaeniform marine fish of the family Cyclopteridae. ... Binomial name Lota lota Linnaeus, 1758 The burbot (Lota lota) is a freshwater fish related to the cods. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) The common whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family (family Salmonidae). ... Binomial name Glycine max Soybeans (US) or soya beans (UK) (Glycine max) are a high-protein legume (Family Fabaceae) grown as food for both humans and livestock. ...

Cultural

Given its high price in the West, caviar is synonymous with luxury and wealth. In Russia and other Eastern European cultures, though still expensive, caviar is commonly served at holiday feasts, weddings, and other festive occasions. Sturgeon-derived caviar is generally not eaten by Jews who keep kosher, because sturgeon lacks scales and thus is not considered kosher; however, this does not apply to every roe-yielding fish species. Eastern Europe is, by convention, a region defined geographically as that part of Europe covering the eastern part of the continent. ... Look up kosher in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In this SEM image of a butterfly wing the scales are clearly visible, and the tiny platelets on each individual scale are just barely visible in the striping. ... Look up kosher in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Arthur C Clarke once said: "In orbit, caviar is cheaper than bread." This statement considers the cost of lifting mass to orbit. By present means, the cost of lifting a kilogram to orbit exceed- $10,000 USD; the cost of beluga caviar is on the order of $1000/kg. The price of bread is under $10/kg, but it is not as concentrated a source of protein or calories, so more bread than caviar would be needed to sustain life. Arthur C. Clarke, considered by many to be a grand master of science fiction and communication satellites Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (born December 16, 1917) is a British author and inventor, probably most famous for his science fiction novel 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

References

1. ^ Merriam-Webster Online - Caviar entry
2. ^ LEDA at Harvard Law School - A Brief History of Caviar
3. ^ www.boston.com - More than one fish egg in the sea
4. ^ California Farm Bureau Federation - Farmers tame prehistoric fish to make food fit for a king
5. ^ news.bbc.co.uk - International caviar trade banned
6. ^ news.bbc.co.uk - UN lifts embargo on caviar trade

Gallery

External links

• Cooking For Engineers: Caviar
• Stolt Sea Farm
• California Caviar - a story on Sterling Caviar's business
• Sturgeon population in Hudson River - Once-Endangered Sturgeon Rebounding in Hudson River, Study Says