Got eggs?
by TreeHugger on 02.14.05
If you’re going to give in and celebrate Valentine’s Day, and you are determined to impress your honey, sweetie, or mate, your heart might say, “caviar”. Your conscience? Well, that might say otherwise. Beluga sturgeon, you know, is almost extinct. Even though the US has officially listed beluga sturgeon as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, it has not enforced a ban on the import of beluga caviar. The Natural Resources Defense Council even sued the U.S. government for its failure.
But it’s not all bad news. While SeaWeb, the NRDC, and the University of Miami’s Pew Institute for Ocean Science fight for regulation under the moniker Caviar Emptor, Tsar Nicoulai is producing premium caviar using sustainable environmentally sound practices. Their fish are fed organic feed, their water comes from deep wells and is cycled with the most ecologically safe methods, and well, basically, they care.
Tsar Nicoulai is farming in California, but don’t pull up your nose at American caviar. It has been making quite a name for itself in recent years. And there are some nice lower priced options, as well. It might not sound sexy, but paddlefish caviar is excellent. Hey, wherever it comes from, it’s still an aphrodisiac. Happy Valentine’s Day…and beyond.
::Tsar Nicoulai [by Tamara Holt]
Couple of general things to be thoughtful about with any sturgeon roe product. The supply chain for anything that costs hundreds of dollars per ounce is not going to be clean for long. Poachers of north american lake sturgeon (Acipenser Fulvescens) and related endangered species are going to get in on the market action sooner or later. A 200 pound female might have thousands dollars worth. They don't even breed until they are older than the average human age for marriage! IF you are going to eat caviar, suggest you look to donate some to a conservation entity or better yet donate some time guarding the spawning streams during spring runs.
Second, again with the prices so high, there is a temptation to cut the actual caviar with the eggs of less noble species. IT happens and if it tastes OK who cares? Suggests you consider smoking your own fresh caught fish caviar. The roe of many species is quite good cooked or smoked. Just no gar: its poisonous.