DECORATION OF THE TABLE, THE PERSONALIZATION OF LUXURY, THE IDEAL OF Gourmet ... CAVIAR - ONE OF THE MOST TASTY MIRACLES OF THE CLASSIC RUSSIAN KITCHEN. IT IS EXACTLY THE DISH THAT IS ABLE TO MAKE THE ORDINARY TABLE EXQUISITE, AND THE HOLIDAY LUNCH TO TURN IN THE TRUE OF THE TSAR'S TABLE. Text: Alexander Semin
Just as a diamond requires a decent cut, caviar on a table has been given special serving from time immemorial: according to Russian tradition, it should be served exclusively in silver or crystal caviar, always on ice (because cold caviar is much tastier!) And with an elegant curl of cold butter, what all gourmets know about. In Russia, they always knew a lot about good caviar. She was a popular treat among Russian boyars during Orthodox posts.
By the way, in calories, caviar even surpasses meat and dairy products. If a hundred grams of black caviar gives the body 280 calories, then the same amount of meat is only 120 ...
Therefore, black caviar has always been considered not only tasty, but also a useful product, one of the most nutritious and balanced from a dietary point of view. Sturgeon caviar contains all the essential vitamins and minerals necessary for humans.
Experts say that the best black caviar is Beluga. It is not only the most delicious and expensive, but also the largest, silver, slightly shiny. Strictly speaking, the best black caviar is actually gray, to a dun shade. And the brighter it is, the higher its quality. In addition, it is completely devoid of a specific caviar smell, which not everyone likes. Beluga eggs are rather large, equal in size. They never stick together. Specialists call this caviar "dry-crumbly": caviar to caviar. In Russia, caviar was harvested for a long time. Russian fishermen mastered caviar in the XII century.
And in 1520, Russian caviar was already served at the courts of European monarchs - as a rare delicacy. Pope Julius, having tasted the "Russian curiosity", was delighted. Among the Russian rulers, Ivan the Terrible, who preferred sturgeon caviar, started the custom of serving caviar to the royal table. The father of Peter I, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, even issued a decree in 1672, obliging each palace fisherman (there were fifty) to deliver one and a half thousand sturgeons a year to the royal court.
In the 18th century, Peter the Great declared fishing in Russia a state monopoly: "take all fishing, the Great Sovereign." And in Astrakhan they arranged a special "fish office". The young German princess Sofia Augusta, Frederick Anhalt Tserbst, arriving in Russia, was struck by the luxury of Russian feasts and the abundance of caviar. Subsequently, becoming Empress Catherine II, she fell in love with Russian customs and arranged real "caviar feasts" for her subjects at a holiday in the Summer Garden.
From Russia, fashion for this delicacy came to Europe. Caviar has become not just a welcome dish, but a kind of culmination of a sumptuous Russian-style dinner. However, Russia is not the only exporter of this product. The main suppliers of black caviar have always been Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Since 2008, Israel began exporting black caviar.
Today, Israeli black caviar is supplied to Japan, America, Europe and Russia at a price of three to five thousand dollars per kilogram.
Recently, premium sturgeon caviar was launched in the UAE - in Abu Dhabi. The new sturgeon farm of Emirates Aquatech may be the largest in the world: it is located on an area of 56 thousand square meters. meters. The capacity of the enterprise, equipped with the latest technologies, is expected to be 35 tons of caviar per year. However, despite the emergence of new players in the global caviar market, Russian manufacturers still maintain their primacy.
Russian Caviar House
This is the name of the largest Russian company for the production and sale of caviar. It was founded in 1978 on the banks of the northern river of the Court, in a place that is famous for its excellent environmental conditions. It is here, on a modern aquaculture farm, that Russia’s most powerful production of sturgeon caviar is established. The company has the largest Russian breeding herd of sturgeons, the number of which exceeds 250 thousand fish, and the volume of eggs obtained is measured in tens of thousands of kilograms. Here, in the Vologda Oblast, ideal conditions have been created for breeding sturgeon fish in clean running water. After all, there are no industrial enterprises upstream Courts. Therefore, the water here is transparent, impeccable from an environmental point of view and also has special natural qualities that give caviar a unique taste.
Different species of sturgeon are bred here - beluga, sterlet, as well as Lena, Baikal and classical Russian sturgeons. One of the noble tasks of the enterprise is the conservation of rare, endangered fish species.
The modern caviar processing workshop is equipped with the latest equipment, which allows producing both granular and pasteurized caviar. In addition, the Russian Caviar House launched a unique Russian product - pack caviar, undeservedly forgotten today.
The secret of success of the Russian Caviar House is in a combination of rich traditions with the most advanced technologies from domestic and foreign research centers. All this allows you to achieve the highest quality product. Recently, a branch of the company was opened in Dubai, and the products of the Russian Caviar House are now certified in the UAE.
The legacy of the Romanov dynasty
ANNA caviar, which recently became available in the UAE and which has long been delivered to the best Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe, got its name in honor of the Russian Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna, who later became the Queen of the Netherlands. Anna Pavlovna, like other children of the reigning Romanov family, grew up on an exquisite diet, of which caviar was an indispensable part. Every morning, children of the royal family were served banana mousse with black beluga caviar for breakfast.
Since 2009, ANNA caviar has been produced in Dutch Eidhoven. Under ideal conditions, herds of sturgeon and beluga brought from the Caspian Sea are bred here.
Several thousand noble fish feel great in specially equipped ponds, where their usual habitat is recreated. Spring water in the tanks is carefully filtered and constantly updated, the special bio-feed does not contain any preservatives, due to which the living conditions of sturgeons are as close to natural as possible. A special massage is given to the fishes; specialists observe the condition of each individual using unique ultrasonic technology. All these factors provide high quality caviar.
This business requires patience. Seven years must pass before sturgeon fish begin to spawn. And then the question arises of how to obtain it. The Dutch company, which produces a product under the brand name ANNA, uses traditional slaughter technology, which used to produce caviar in tsarist Russia. The caviar is not overripe and of high quality, and does not require additional processing.
Caviar processing is no less thorough here. The main task of manufacturers is to preserve the chemical and physical characteristics and taste properties of the caviar obtained. To do this, it is sieved, and then immersed in spring water and slightly salted. In the manufacturing process, only natural substances are used, and there can be no talk of any preservatives or artificial additives. Thanks to this approach, pure sturgeon caviar of the highest quality is obtained, which is so appreciated by gourmets around the world.
Caviar serving
- Serving caviar requires a special approach. It should be scooped up with a special spoon, carved from the bone or, in extreme cases, a plastic one. Metal does not fit.
- True gourmets carefully bring a spoon to their mouth, trying not to touch it with their lips, so that the caviar, immediately on the tongue, delights with all shades of taste.
- In Europe, caviar is usually served with champagne, and in Russia they prefer to accompany this delicacy with vodka.
