Goldfish. Black caviar: history, varieties, production and extraction, how to check Black caviar plant

Beluga is an anadromous fish of the sturgeon family, the largest freshwater fish (the weight of the largest specimens caught reached one and a half tons) and long-lived (can live up to 100 years). Caspian beluga females reach puberty at the age of 16-27 years. The fertility of the beluga, depending on the size of the female, ranges from 500 thousand to a million eggs. According to the way of feeding, the beluga is a predator, feeding mainly on fish. In the sea, it feeds mainly on fish (herring, sprats, gobies, etc.), but does not neglect mollusks. Beluga caviar is distinguished by its large size and gray color. It is considered the most valuable of all types of sturgeon caviar.

Sturgeon (Siberian, Russian)

Sturgeon is a freshwater and anadromous fish of the sturgeon family. Distributed in Europe and North America, but the greatest species diversity is found in Russia. The length of the sturgeon reaches 3 m, weight can reach 200 kg. Almost all existing 17 species of sturgeons are listed in the Red Book. In the spring, sturgeon comes out of the seas into the rivers to spawn, some species also come out in the fall in order to spend the winter here in hibernation. Sturgeon is a bottom fish that feeds on fish, shellfish, worms, etc. The amount of caviar obtained from sturgeon can be from 1/6 to 1/3 of the weight of the fish. The meat of all types of sturgeon is very tasty and healthy, but sturgeon caviar has the greatest value.

Stellate sturgeon

Stellate sturgeon is a valuable anadromous fish of the sturgeon family that lives in the basins of the Caspian, Black and Azov Seas. It occurs at a depth of up to 100 m. The maximum recorded body length is 220 cm, weight is 80 kg. It differs from other sturgeon species primarily in its strongly elongated nose. Like all sturgeons, the stellate sturgeon is a long-lived freshwater fish: the maximum recorded age is 41 years. Stellate sturgeon can form hybrids with two closely related sturgeon species - sterlet and thorn. The main food of the stellate sturgeon in the Caspian Sea is the Nereis worm, as well as crustaceans. The Azov stellate sturgeon feeds on worms, amphipods, mysids and small fish.

Sterlet

Sterlet is a freshwater fish of the sturgeon family. Body length - up to 1.25 m, weight - up to 16 kg (usually less). Distributed in all rivers of the European part of Russia and in Siberia. It differs from other sturgeons by an earlier onset of puberty. Sterlet food is mainly made up of mosquito larvae, amphipods, caddisflies, large sterlet can eat mollusks, leeches, and fish. In autumn, the sterlet lies in the deep sections of the rivers and goes into a sedentary regime. The sterlet is very whimsical to the conditions of existence, and therefore it can be considered a kind of indicator of the level of water purity - it will not live in a dirty and oxygen-poor reservoir.

Red, black caviar is a national treasure, a brand, the best Russian souvenir. The noble product is a symbol of culinary tradition, a legend among national delicacies, and has a balanced, unique composition. Previously, it was served at social events, now the delicacy is available to most buyers. Red varieties in Russia are mined mainly in the Far East, black varieties are grown in fish farms. black caviar forms a culture of consumption of the product, helps in the revival of wild sturgeon populations. Mining sites On the territory of the Russian Federation there are several enterprises for growing sturgeon. Running water is used, fish are placed in special cages. Specialists carefully monitor the condition, health of the breeds, the conditions of their maintenance. The high cost of the delicacy is explained by the difficulty of obtaining it - the female needs 7-10 years to mature. Hormonal stimulation is unacceptable due to the negative impact on the quality of the product. Red caviar from the manufacturer comes mainly from the Far East. Varieties - coho salmon, pink salmon, chum salmon, Pacific salmon. The main production regions are Sakhalin Island, Kamchatka, the seas - Bering and Okhotsk. For catching, fixed seines, nets, trawls and other gear are used. The mining season runs from June to October.

Production rules

Black caviar is much more expensive than red caviar, its production is carried out strictly in accordance with the standards adopted at the legislative level.

At the moment, sturgeon fishing for the purpose of obtaining a delicacy is prohibited, since a sharp decline in the population began in the 90s of the last century. Industrial fishing has dealt a blow to the ecosystem, which now takes decades to recover. Black varieties are produced only in specialized fish farms.

Red caviar is a commodity of more mass consumption, but also very valuable and useful. It is used in the preparation of various dishes, for decorating holiday tables. A quality product has a bright shade, a delicate characteristic aroma (it should not be sharp), a dense granular texture. Eggs float in watery sludge, which increases their shelf life - jus. More than 5% of the total volume of the product should not account for juice.

Manufacturers

1. "Russian caviar house" - the largest aquaculture of the Russian Federation with an impressive population of sturgeons. The brand carefully monitors the quality of the goods produced, the fish is grown in the Vologda region in close to natural conditions.

2. "Roll" - Astrakhan fishery, which has been growing fish in cages and producing high-quality black caviar since 2007.

3. "Yaroslavsky" (this is the Gorkunov brand) - a large sturgeon fish factory. Fish are grown strictly in closed systems. Caviar is obtained by the downhole method, salt is practically not used during conservation.

4. Rzhev fish breeding complex (TM "Gold of the Caspian Sea") known for its tasty and high-quality salted downhole product. The company's delicacies appeared on the market in 2014, but have already gained popularity. Most series are not pasteurized and therefore require delicate storage.

5. Volgorechenskoeeconomy - the oldest company in its industry, founded in 1974. To obtain a delicacy, a milking method is used, the final product contains a minimum of salt, and there are no preservatives at all. Strict veterinary control is guaranteed.

The legal production of the leading caviar houses guarantees the transparency of the production and marketing structures. Supporting documentation is provided.

Previously, the Caspian Sea accounted for about 90% of world sturgeon production, That's why USSR was the main exporter of black caviar. The volume of sturgeon exports from the USSR was 2 thousand tons per year, which by modern standards is simply a huge figure. The second country that went to the Caspian Sea is Iran.

Sturgeons in the Caspian Sea

Subsequently, 5 countries were formed that have access to the Caspian Sea - these are Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Iran. But due to uncontrolled poaching sturgeon populations in the Caspian Sea have decreased by 50 times which has brought this species to the brink of extinction. Therefore, international organizations were forced to introduce export quotas for these countries.

The export of caviar was banned for Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. The only exception was made for Iran, because poaching is very strictly prosecuted in this country. However, within the first four countries, poaching continues to flourish, and illegal caviar enters the domestic market.

Iran quota for the export of black caviar is 50 tons per year. In addition to natural black caviar, Iran is actively seeking to increase the production of black caviar on sturgeon farms. In 2013, they received 3 tons of the product, which encourages investors to increase capacity for industrial breeding of sturgeon. This country supplies its black caviar, as a rule, to Germany, France, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and South Korea.

In 2007, Russia took some measures to stop poaching, so it was given annual quota for export of caviar in the amount of 23.5 tons per year. As for industrial production, according to various estimates, Russia now produces up to 12 tons of black caviar per year in several large fish farms.

large black caviar production launched in Saudi Arabia, a large share falls on the enterprise - "Caviar Court Food Processing". The volume of production reaches 6 tons per year. Caviar from Saudi Arabia is exported, including to the CIS countries.

Now in the ponds of Kibbutz Dan there are more than 70 thousand sturgeons, whose age is about 12 years.

In 2008 export of black caviar began and Israel. Basically, he supplies it to the market of Japan, the USA, Europe and even Russia. Mostly in Israel, sturgeon farming takes place on Kibbutz Dan, which began over 10 years ago. Sturgeon fry were purchased in the cities of the Caspian Sea, then using the modern method of breeding sturgeon fish, the kibbutz was able to reach such a volume of caviar production that Israel has become one of the world's top exporters. Moreover, black caviar from Israel was recognized as high quality caviar. The volume of black caviar production in Israel is about 4 tons per year.

Black since 2012 caviar is also produced in the Republic of Pridnestrovie, overall volume - up to 1 ton per year.

There is another country in the world that produces a large amount of black caviar in several fish farms. This is China. Only three fish farms have reliable statistics on the scale of production: Qinjiang - 10 tons of caviar per year, Shandong - 15 tons, Heilongjiang - 10 tons.

If you want to make Ukraine one of the world's leading exporters of black caviar, you can seriously consider . At Del Mar Fish you can purchase the highest quality sturgeon fry for breeding.

Black caviar is considered one of the most nutritious and balanced foods, as well as a world famous symbol of luxury. However, the consumption of black caviar can hardly be called environmentally responsible. Poaching, hydrotechnical development of rivers and pollution of the aquatic environment have led to a sharp decrease in the sturgeon population.

Until 1991, Russia was a key player in the world in terms of sturgeon fishing and export of caviar products. In the best years, our country caught up to 28 thousand tons of sturgeon for domestic needs and produced up to 2-2.8 thousand tons of caviar. At the same time, the world export market for this product exceeded 570 tons per year. The Caspian Sea produced 90 percent of all exported caviar, of which, on average, sturgeon caviar accounted for 50.6%, Russian sturgeon caviar - 38.5% and beluga caviar - 9.9%.

At the end of the 20th century, caviar smuggling in the world reached unprecedented volumes. In this regard, the UN Committee on International Trade in Endangered Species has limited sturgeon fishing and the export of black caviar to Russia and all the Caspian countries of the former USSR. The only state in this region that was not affected by the ban was Iran.

Black caviar is not legally harvested from the wild. The ban was introduced in 2007 and supported by the five Caspian states, which are located around the Caspian - the world's main habitat for sturgeons. The center of illegal production of black caviar has moved from the Astrakhan lower reaches of the Volga to the lower reaches of the Amur in Khabarovsk.

After the ban on sturgeon hunting was introduced, in France, Germany, Italy, the USA, Canada, China, Uruguay, Spain, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and other countries, more than 140 farms were created to breed sturgeon fish in order to obtain food caviar from it.

World producers of black caviar: Iran - 60 tons, USA - 50 tons, France - 30 tons, Italy - 26 tons, Germany - 15 tons, Latin America - 15 tons, Israel - 7, Spain - 5 tons. In China, according to the Rosselkhoznadzor, 136 enterprises are accredited, which have the right to supply sturgeon species of fish and their caviar to the Russian Federation. Experts estimate the total production of black caviar in China at 80-100 tons, mostly low-quality products. At the same time, there is also high-quality caviar in China - for example, the product of the Kaluga Queen company is bought by the best restaurants in the world. The company's products were served to heads of state at the G20 summit in China in 2016.

Today, the legal turnover of black caviar in the world foreign market is approximately 350-450 tons per year, while its capacity continues to be estimated by experts at the level of 1000 tons per year.

Observations on the Russian caviar market show that the domestic market has fallen from 420 tons to 170 tons of illegal caviar over the past six years. This trend confirms the presence of serious problems with the sturgeon stock in the Caspian Sea. Also, in recent years, caviar from the Siberian regions and the Far East began to enter the illegal domestic market. A number of companies that have been working with smuggling for a long time began to leave the shadow area for legal business. This situation can be characterized as stagnant for the illegal trade in black caviar. Gradually, caviar from various countries of the world began to enter the domestic market, which confirms the tendency of this sector to move into the legal direction and the large capacity for this product in Russia.

According to experts, as a result of a significant reduction (by 2.5 times) in the volume of illegally harvested black caviar, the capacity of the domestic market decreased from 430.1 tons in 2010 to 224.3 tons in 2016. Despite the fact that the aquaculture production of black caviar has shown significant growth (by 3.3 times) over the past 6 years, it is not enough to compensate for the market decline.

In the Russian Federation, the production of black caviar has grown over the past 6 years from 13.1 tons in 2010 to 44 tons in 2016. Imports in 2016 amounted to 7.5 tons, including the supply of black caviar from China amounted to 5.5 tons. Compared to 2015, deliveries from China tripled from 1.8 tons to 5.5 tons. Exports in 2016 amounted to 7.2 tons.

Black caviar has been noticeably cheaper for the last five years. It grew sharply in price in the 1990s - early 2000s due to the mass destruction of several species: in just four years, from 1992 to 1995, the sturgeon population decreased four times, from 200 million to 50 million pieces, then caviar has risen in price in 20 times. In 2010, prices in Russia reached a maximum - sturgeon caviar cost 100-120 thousand rubles. for 1 kg. However, since then a decline has begun: in 2012, caviar cost about 80-90 thousand rubles, and now - from 40 thousand rubles. (dairy sturgeon) up to 70 thousand rubles. (killer beluga).

I estimated the cost of caviar production, calculated the cost of its sale, and it turned out to be much cheaper than in stores, - says Andrey Popov. - And took up this business. Moreover, there is a demand for black caviar.

Of course, production did not start from scratch. By this time, there was already a small, about a ton, breeding herd, it included Siberian sturgeon and sterlet. They began to "milk" the sterlet. But you need to be able to get caviar.

It's only in TV reports that everything is simple - they pressed a fish on the stomach and got a liter of caviar. In fact, everything is quite complicated, - says Nina Popova, Andrei's mother. She has decades of fish farming experience.

To establish the process of obtaining a delicacy, a world-famous specialist in this field, Professor Sergei Pillow from St. Petersburg, came to Dobryanka last year. He spent several days at the Popovs' fish farm. Taught me how to do things right. But what exactly, the farmers do not say. This is their know-how and generally a production secret.

Among sturgeons, as well as sterlets, there are albinos. A photo: Konstantin Bakharev

Why fish need a diet

However, Andrey agreed to tell a few details about getting the delicacy.

First, we grow the so-called repair group from fry, it takes 4-5 years, - says the fish farmer. - A sterlet living on a farm can spawn at this age. In autumn, we examine the females for the presence and maturity of eggs.

Then those with more mature caviar are transferred to a separate pool. The water is cold there, and the fish are not fed. At all. This is so that the females do not get fat and the caviar ripens together, "fits", as the fish farmers say.

At the end of winter, after examining the fish, it is again transferred to the pool, but with warm water. As the temperature rises, the females "understand" that the time has come to part with the eggs.

And with the help of that same secret method, sterlet spawn and prepare a delicacy. Caviar, by the way, can be obtained no more than once every two years. This year, the last time the females were "milked" was at the end of March. We got about eighty kilograms.

White black caviar

Fish in the Popov farm is kept separately. The breeding herd is located in a separate building, in special pools. On the street, in the cages, the fish is marketable, but here, under the roof and locks, the most valuable part of the economy.

Separately female sterlet. According to the degree of maturity of the eggs, they are seated. Among the black identical fish, a bright white spot suddenly appears. This is an albino sterlet. She has white caviar. That is, it is black in taste, and white in color. Such a product costs about 50 thousand dollars per kilogram.

And in the neighboring pool, an orange sterlet generally swims.

This is a chromist, says Andrey. - Such a fish, probably, is one in a million. Already received caviar from her. It is bright black, with a shimmer.

There is also a pool with sturgeons nearby. Hefty males reluctantly flounder in warm water. Among them are two albinos.

How much to hang in tons

Of course, the sale of caviar is a promising direction, - says Andrey. - But investments and a lot of work are necessary. What we are doing.

Last year, the Popovs' farmers received about forty kilograms of marketable, that is, black caviar ready for sale. But this was not enough.

People are ready to buy, call us, - says Nina Popova. - But because of one can, who will go to Dobryanka? And retail chains do not take a small amount. They ask for at least half a ton of caviar per year. And for this it is necessary to have a breeding herd of at least ten tons. And next year we plan to bring it up to only one and a half tons. So there is room for improvement.

There was no help from the authorities at first. Only recently has it finally been possible to obtain a subsidy of ten million rubles from the regional government. With this money, farmers have equipped, although not yet completely, their fisheries. They repaired the unfinished building on the banks of the Kama, which had been abandoned during the Soviet era, installed electricity, water, and heating. While caviar is not the main product of the Popov farmers, the main profit comes from the sale of marketable fish - sturgeon and trout. But if the plan comes true, then sterlet caviar will become much more accessible for Perm residents, and not only for them.

3.5 thousand rubles costs 100 grams of sterlet caviar from the Popovs.

Symbols and meanings

swept

Requiem for the main national delicacy

Where kalya is, there I am, - the chef of the Danilov Monastery, Oleg Olkhov, taught me the correct accent, shifting black caviar with a spoon into a saucepan boiling with sturgeon tesh. - Here are some more laurels, a little saffron infusion, three minutes and the soup is ready.

I am absent-mindedly examining a quarter-kilogram transparent box from which black caviar has just been extracted.

A parishioner from China brought it as a gift, - Oleg explained. - There it costs 150 rubles for our money. So I decided to treat the brethren with a soup from the times of Ignatius Bryanchaninov. And remember, the main thing in the calla is not caviar, but cucumber pickle.

To tell the truth, black caviar remains a mystery to me. There is absolutely no gastronomic idea in it, not the slightest culinary idea, no culinary tradition, not even an elegant look. Dull black. For me, it is like a black square by Malevich: expensive and incomprehensible.

And China has never been associated with quality food. And personally, I really like some Chinese catering traditions. For example, when the one who is given the only menu on the table pays. As a foreigner, I have never been served...

The Chinese are not after glory. Well, if you like Nike, you will have Nike, if you like the living room of Alf Montecarlo, please. The Chinese are after money.

Their gastronomic traditions are more abrupt than French ones, but they do not impose them on anyone. If you like black caviar, you are ready to pay for it - you will have black caviar. "The biggest hurdle for us remains the lack of confidence in the safety of Chinese products," said Lily Liu, marketing manager at Hangzhou Qiandaohu Xunlong Sci-tech Co.

Most consumers still consider Chinese brands to be cheap imitations, so the location of the manufacturer is rarely announced. The indisputable world authority on the black caviar market, Alexander Petrosyan, president of the French company Petrossian, explained why they did not mention the Chinese origin of caviar: “It was very difficult to sell caviar for the first three years. It was difficult to convince people that this is not a cheap product. There is also cheap Chinese caviar but Caluga Queen is one of the best on the market." Now Kaluga Queen supplies black caviar to branded stores on all continents. Chinese black caviar has absorbed all the facets of luxury, all shades of vanity, all the depth of ambition inherent in a suddenly rich and mad rabble ...

In Soviet times, about 30,000 (thousand!) tons of sturgeon were caught in the lower reaches of the Volga and in the Caspian Sea and 2,500 (thousand!) tons of natural black caviar of all conceivable and inconceivable organoleptic shades, from silver-brown-gray to anthracite, were supplied to the world market. Today, approximately the same volumes are in China, only not caught, but farmed sturgeons. A third of the free Chinese black caviar comes to us in Russia, where now a total of 60 sturgeon farms produce only 40-45 tons a year, I can’t even say “black gold”.

Alexander Savelyev, head of the Fisheries Information Agency

What and how much?

Maybe a joke in the riddle? Intrigue in the fossil beluga, the same age as dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period? Just think, lives up to a hundred years. One of these was caught near Biryuchaya Spit in 1924, weighing 1224 kg, from which 246 kg of caviar were taken.

There is no Beluga anywhere in the world, except for the Caspian Sea. She spawns the most expensive black caviar in the world. With my own eyes I saw a jar of 24 carat gold worth 25,000 (thousand!) US dollars. ALMAS. Iranian caviar. Since 1950. True, not black, but pale amber. From an albino beluga.