Caviar & Other Roes

Caviar consists of the eggs of fish, salted or pickled to preserve and flavor them. It is most commonly made with the roe, or eggs, of the sturgeon. Sturgeon is native to the northern hemisphere and, in principle, caviar can be produced wherever there are appropriate species. Until recently, caviar production was an Iranian and Russian monopoly based around the Caspian Sea and its river systems. However, a promising start has now been made in caviar production in the American northwest and in China. Making caviar is a slow process, since a female must be 15-20 years old before her roe can be converted into caviar. Furthermore, there is wide variation in roe quality from fish to fish and from species to species.