In the late nineteenth century, sturgeon marrow (viziga) was prepared in fisheries located on the shores of the Caspian and Azov seas; at that time sturgeon marrow cost 34–36 rubles a pood in Astrakhan and nearly 40 rubles a pood in St. Petersburg. Sturgeon marrow is valued primarily for its gelatinous properties and is used almost exclusively as a component of the fish stuffing for coulibiac, pirozhki, rassetgai, etc. To prepare sturgeon marrow, soak it in water for several hours and boil in water for another 3 hours before combining it with other ingredients. In large urban centers in the United States and Europe, sturgeon marrow is sold in both powdered and dried forms. (Entsiklopedicheskij slovar’, Vol. 14, 720; Tovarnyj slovar’, II, 110–111; McClane and deZanger, Encyclopedia of Fish, 455.)
