Acipenser Baerii
The caviar produced from roes of mature baerii sturgeon, taking 5~7 years of aqua culture. Its color can be grey or black. The roe’s size about 2.8mm. The flavor is pure with a light after taste and it’s soft and melty, strong and idolized.
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This variety is the most widespread, as it was one of the first to have been raised. It is also the one which reaches sexual maturity the most quickly, Until recently, it was the only one to be permitted in France, which explains the lack of diversity in French production.
Baerii is produced by very mature Siberian sturgeons. The result is a stunning caviar surpassing commonly known Baerii caviar and rivaling many osetra. The texture is soft and creamy; the taste is sweet, nutty and savoury.. Best served alone on a blini or with crème fraiche
Because of its flavor profile it is not generally recommended to newcomers. This is a great choice to add variability to a caviar menu at a restaurant or a retail store. Siberian Sturgeon is a common substitute for Russian Osetra and is the most abundant caviar in the European and South American markets. It is greatly appreciated by caviar connoisseurs and can be enjoyed either alone or with accompaniments.
Often, caviar obtained from Siberian Sturgeon is incorrectly marketed as Osetra. Depending on the country of origin you may come across French Osetra, Italian Osetra, American or Uruguayan Osetra. All are farmed from the same species (Acipenser Baerii) but in different countries. The taste and color between them will vary slightly, but it is mainly attributed to the natural color alteration of the sturgeon caviar. Of course, the water and feed used in farming the sturgeons will have its influence on the taste of the end product, but this difference is very insignificant and can also be attributed to natural changes during the curing process. Another very popular product in Europe is the cross breed between Ac. Baerii and Ac. Naccarii which is commonly known as Baccarii. Be aware that this hybrid is also incorrectly marketed as pure Siberian Sturgeon or Siberian Osetra.
Siberian Sturgeon reaches up to 6.5 feet in length and weighs up to 100 lb. Females reach sexual maturity between 11 and 22 years and males between 9 and 19,ofcourse as mentioned above fewer in farm, depending on the temperature of the water. Adult female fish spawns every 3-5 years and male every 2-3 years. The life span of Siberian sturgeon is 25-30 years. This species is native to all Siberian rivers which drain into the Kara, Laptev and East Siberian seas and basins of the Ob, Taz, Yenisei, Pyasina etc. They can be found in all types of freshwater benthic habitats in large rivers and lakes. Siberian Sturgeon is the only sturgeon that is widely farmed-raised in many parts of the world, including Europe, South America and China, and ofcourse with good taste and flavor in Iran.
There are as many different caviars as there are sturgeon species!
Each producing region has its “specialty” although some species are present in several regions at the same time.
Obviously caviars are different depending on the species they come from. For example, the Beluga, known for its large grains, is fatter and butterier, while the osetra, which was also originally from the Caspian Sea, has a stronger iodine taste.
THE MAIN CAVIARS:
Beluga caviar
This is arguably the best known and most prized species of sturgeon and caviar. It is also one of the most expensive caviar. Its eggs are large and a more or less pale gray. Their membrane is very thin and gives a fragile caviar. Its incomparable fondness made it the favorite caviar of Elizabeth Taylor, who nicknamed its anthracite grains her “big babies”. Rich people prefer to buy beluga caviar as it symbolizes wealth.
Osciètre Caviar
It is characterized by a very great genetic diversity. Its eggs range from jet black to golden, but are most often brown or light brown. Their size, from medium to large, ranges between 2.5 and 3.5mm. It is also appreciated for its fairly firm texture and for its robustness which allows good storage and interesting ripening.
Sevruga Caviar
They are among the smallest grains of caviar, which has often earned it the reputation of “cheap caviar”. However, it has the reputation acquired in the last century, to be a product of connoisseurs because it is extremely tasty. Its particular taste is perhaps linked to the fact that it rarely frequents the turbine waters of estuaries.
Baeri Caviar
It has an average size close to that of the oscillator. Their tone remains in the brown unlike the oscillator. The texture is a little more melting.
A DIFFERENCE IN TASTE AND COLOR
The color of a caviar depends on the species of sturgeon it comes from, and also the individual characteristics of the fish. Therefore, within the same species, there is sometimes a variety of colors. However, the external appearance of the fish does not determine the color of its caviar. In addition, the range of colors that can be seen at the time of production narrows with salting and refining. These last operations can indeed modify the color of the caviar.
There is no marked difference in taste between caviar of different color when they come from the same breeding. Some tasters with keen taste buds note that clear caviars have a higher fat content. And a slightly more pronounced length in the mouth, with greater fragility, and less good hold over time.
On the other hand, color greatly influences the “rating” of a caviar. That is, the price the consumer is prepared to pay. This underscores the current tendency to judge caviar not by taste, but also by how it looks. There is still no hard and fast rule, if Westerners are looking for light caviars, the Japanese prefer dark products.
The Royal baerii caviar (Siberian Sturgeon). A larger roe than the classic, dark and a tad more salty than the hybrids, roe size is About 2.4 to 2.6 sometimes.
