A brief history of beluga caviar


Are you looking for an article that has everything about Beluga Caviar? If yes, then finally you have come to the right place. As you know that caviar has been in the world for decades and Beluga Caviar is one of the most highly prized of all the caviar varieties. This food is always associated with pure luxury, that's why it is also known as black gold. It consists of roes of the beluga sturgeon. It is primarily originated in the world's biggest saltwater lake, Caspian Sea. These eggs are known for their shiny texture and their color ranges from light gray to black. Beluga Caviar is considered one of life's greatest pleasures and people love it for its life-enriching taste. 

 

However, it is indeed true that Caviar Beluga is amazingly delicious, but this is not the main reason why it is so expensive. The main reason behind its heavy price is the fish itself that lays these eggs. Beluga Sturgeon is a very huge fish and its weight can be over 2000lbs and it can grow more than 20 feet. This fish lives for more than 100 years and is also has a longer maturation cycle. Due to this, the caviar farmer has to put a lot of their effort, money and time into feeding and taking care of a beluga sturgeon before they can get the investment back. That's why Beluga Caviar is considered as a luxury food and priced so high.

beluga sturgeon

History Of Beluga Caviar

So if you are thinking where does beluga caviar come from, then it comes from one of the oldest fish, which is the beluga sturgeon caviar. Beluga fish has been in the world for decades and it is also said that this fish was also present at the time when dinosaurs used to live on the Earth. Caviar has a very fascinating history. There was a time when it was only served to people who belong to a royal family. It was also called the Royal fish because the British rulers used to reserve all of the beluga caviar fish for their own consumption. After some time, Caviar gained a lot of popularity, and then soon Russia picked up this delicious beluga roe. It became famous all over Europe and people started to view it as a treat that was celebrated by almost all cultures.

 

Coming to the commercialization, the first caviar was commercialized by a German immigrant in 1873. His name was Henry Schacht and he started his business on the Delaware River, which is located in America. The sturgeon was found in abundance in the US waters and due to this, Schacht was able to sell the caviar at a lower cost as compared to the price in Europe. Soon the west coast also got to know the Schacht's business and they also started harvesting roe as well. After this many other businesses also started harvesting beluga roes. And by the 19th century, the United States was making 90% of the world's caviar.

 

beluga caviar history

 

Why Is Beluga Caviar Unique?

After discussing all the basic information regarding the beluga caviar, it's time to talk about the things that make it unique from others. One of the main reasons why beluga caviar is unique is that it has a very slow reproduction cycle, which is also a reason why it is so expensive. Apart from this, there are also many reasons that make it unique.

 

beluga caviar

 

For example- Caviar is also considered as one of the oldest delicious. Before champagne, truffles, and raw oysters, caviar was coveted by Ancient Greeks, kings, and the aristocracy. Apart from this, it is also judged on its flavor, color, maturity, and texture. In simple words, it is believed that the best and the most expensive caviars are larger and they have a lighter color.


On the other hand, low-quality caviars have a dark color and comes with a less fishy flavor. This is a very unique trait of caviar because it makes it very easy to identify the quality of caviars. They also have a decent shelf-life, which means they can easily last more than a day. Not only this, if you keep them in a refrigerator, then they can even stay fresh for a month.