Acipenser

The meat of all species of acipenser is very tasty, so they are caught and eaten fresh, salted or smoked.
The rich Romans used to decorate this fish with flowers. Its meat was the most delicious dish in Greece; it was served for a table of the Emperor in China; the right to eat this fish belonged only to the emperor and the richest nobles in England and France; acipenser’s meat is also highly valued in Russia.

Sturgeons live mainly near the bottom, feed on fish, mollusks, worms, etc. Amount of caviar is very high and is 1/6, 1/5 of body weight, and therefore the number of eggs in the large fish can reach up to several million. Despite this enormous fecundity, the number of fish of this genus has greatly diminished, owing to the ruthless and indiscreet hunting.

Today, the main problem on the Earth is a depletion of fish resources, which led to the fact that many species will soon disappear. Many countries have begun to practice the breeding of sturgeons artificially.

Fish farming is carried out in several ways:
- Breeding in pools;
- Breeding in nurse pond;
- Farms with a closed water supply.

Breeding acipenser is a long and laborious process that requires deep knowledges. In the early stages there are some questions related to equipment and production technology. Use of new technologies allows fisheries to reduce the cost of rearing sturgeon. There were built plants that produce innovative equipment and technology systems especially for the fish farms. Many companies offer devices with closed water supply, due to which breeding of acipenser occurs throughout the year without interruption. The value of these systems is that machines are equipped with automatic climate control that allows to grow up in one cubic meter of water up to 170 kg of fish. Fish farming requires special equipment (cleaning filters, pumps, aerators for water).

Conducted experiments have allowed to accelerate the maturation and growth of acipenser. In the wild sturgeon reaches sexual maturity in fifteen years, but in farms female sturgeon begin to breed in seven years owing to the use of new technologies. Farms are equipped with concrete pools, where the fish is reared. Staff ensures that the content of oxygen in water does not exceed the permissible norms. Waste water is automatically merged from the basin into special wells.

There are protective net above the surface of pools that protects fish from the direct sun rays and the attacks of birds. The main goal of farms is breeding of acipenser in artificial pools all year round. Scientific employees argue that sturgeon rearing requires proper observance of all technologies. Automatic feeding does not require the intervention of farm workers. Forage is given pneumatically through pipes to the pool with the help of a computer program.

Acipenser is a fish listed in the Red Book. Because of its value, it is a very tasty piece for poachers. The number of acipenser falls every year. There was a strong likelihood that this specie will become extinct as a genus 20 years ago. But humanity does not stand still and not so long time ago has taken numerous measures to save the fish.

First of all, there is careful oversight of the acipenser catch, and huge fines for violations and poaching. Another important way to maintain and increase the number of individuals of this genus is its breeding in natural and artificial conditions.

As described above, that there are a lot of different fish-"cities". Fish lives in the most favorable conditions, so it quickly reaches mature age. Acipenser propagates in these special conditions even better than in the wild. After spawning, the fish is released to the wild. Owing to these two methods more and more hope appears to restore the sturgeon population to the old dimension.

In Old Russia pancakes were very popular since ancient times. And to this day, this delicacy is a very popular dish. In Russia, there is even a holiday – Shrovetide, where different delicious kinds of pancakes are baked. There are a lot of different recipes for pancakes, as well as the fillings for them. But it seems the most delicious are pancakes with caviar. No one can refuse from such a delicacy.

Shrovetide - is cheerful farewell to winter and the spring meeting. People for centuries perceived the spring as the beginning of a new life and worshiped the Sun that gives life and strength to everyone. The ancients believed that pancake was a symbol of the sun, because it also is yellow, round and warm like the sun. People baked pancakes in honor of the sun and believed that they ate a piece of its heat and power with pancakes.
Shrovetide gets its name from the church calendar, because it is the last week before Lent - the meat is removed from the food, but it is allowed to eat butter, milk products and fish.

Pancakes with caviar on Shrovetide are already the modern tradition. Red caviar is relatively new product in our kitchen (it is a little more than a hundred years), but black caviar at the end of winter in Old Russia was a very big rarity. However, it is our favorite dish and it is the best symbol of the ancient belief: if your Shrovetide will be rich and fun, your coming year will be the same. Carnival is celebrated for a week and every day of the week has its own customs and traditions.
In Old Russia caviar was eaten not only in ordinary days, but on the Lent too, since it was very appreciated for its useful qualities. But the pancakes with caviar were made ​​quite differently. Roe was whipped, then add the flour, mix, leave for a while, and then baked delicious pancakes.

There are several recipes for cooking dough for pancakes. Typically, the dough is prepared as follows:
You need to take a glass of milk and flour, to whip it well in a mixer, add two eggs and some salt. After that the dough is thoroughly mixed again and left for several hours. Then pancakes is baked on a well-heated frying pan.

Caviar can be served in different ways with the pancakes. Some people lay the caviar with a thin layer on a pancake and cover with the second, after that pancakes are rolled into a tube, cut into two pieces and spread on a plate and garnish with greens. You can put the eggs on the pancake, which is composed as envelope and laid on a piece of lettuce.
Thin pancakes with caviar can be submitted with tasty sauce. To make it, you need just to mix a hundred grams of sour cream and grated cheese. Pancakes are smeared with this sauce, lettuce is placed on top, and then it is rolled up in rolls that are cut into several pieces. Rolls spread on a plate in an upright position. The composition ends with a spoon of caviar on top. You can serve the cream for a dish.

Pancakes with caviar
ingredients:
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup flour
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon of a dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- Salt
- 100g of cheese.
- caviar
Method of preparation:
Combine flour, eggs, milk, yeast, oil and salt, to cook the dough.
Leave the dough for 10-15 minutes.
Then fry pancakes in a pan with butter.
Pancakes and sprinkle with grated cheese and caviar.
Pancakes are wrapped and cut in half.
Serve at the table with the mayonnaise.

Royally pancakes with caviar. For 4 servings:
- 140 g of butter
- 250 ml of milk
- 500 grams of wheat flour
- 20 g of yeast
- 3 eggs
- 100 g of 30% sour cream
- 50 ml of oil
- salt
- sugar
- 60 g of red caviar
- 60 grams of black caviar
Crumble and mix the yeast with warm milk, mix with half of flour and put it in 1 hour in a warm place. Shake up the whites, egg yolks with sugar, salt and 100 grams of softened butter. Make the dough. Put it in a warm place for 40 minutes. Then add eggs and cream and mix it well with the dough. Bake pancakes on oil, put on a plate, apply melted butter and eggs.

Caviar production is only allowed to farms engaged in cultivation of fish. In addition, small amount of caviar will be produced for scientific research. According to chairman of the Federation Council Committee of the agro-food policy and fisheries management Gennady Gorbunov, control measures are temporary. "Russia can recover the number of sturgeon artificially, but it will take more than one year", - he said.

According to him, this mode will be observed at least ten years.
In connection with the ban on the production of sturgeon caviar, Russians will face a shortage of this product, experts say. According to them, it will be problematic to buy even the illegal caviar. The government drafted a bill that provides destruction of confiscated illegally obtained objects of different species of wildlife (including sturgeon), and products made of them.

The implementation of the bill will allow to destroy confiscated products from the sturgeon fish in order to avoid the possibility of its legalization.
Earlier, fish got to the market after confiscation in most cases through third hands and brought profit for poachers. Destruction of confiscated party will bring nothing but expenses for "black" fishermen and, possibly, will cause them to think about leaving the "business", according to officials.

In the late 1970s sturgeon and caviar were important article of Soviet export: up to 2 thousand tons per year of this delicacy were supplied abroad. But now caviar export declined to 1.2 thousand tons, of which legally come onto the market only 10 tons. So, about 90% of black caviar in stores is illegal. The most conservative estimates, Russia's economy loses annually at least $ 500 million from the sale of illegal fish products.
As a result of ruthless poaching of sturgeon population of the Caspian basin declined to 38.5 per cent over the past 15 years.

The taste, smell, texture and chemical composition of caviar can be changed during storage.

Taste of eggs can be changed from the appearance of sour and bitter smack, which gradually increased when the storage is incorrect. If caviar is stored in metal containers, you may get a metallic taste.
The consistency of eggs can be changed if storage conditions are bad. The shells of the eggs lose their elasticity and can weaken and soften, and their contents can be exuded and changed into a thick sticky liquid that collects at the bottom of the barrel or jar.
Different ways of processing of caviar can give different periods of storage. The more fully caviar is dehydrated and isolated from the oxygen during processing, the better and longer it can be kept.

Sturgeon canned caviar can be stored in some cases 2-3 months, In others - up to a year, depending on the conditions of processing. One of these conditions is laying eggs in the banks – it is very critical operation and determines the shelf-life of eggs.
The second condition - correct storage of roe; sturgeon caviar in cans is kept in refrigerators at a temperature of -2-3,5 ° C. The third condition of long-term storage - salting. Salting of eggs can be made only with salt or with salt and with the addition of antiseptics. If caviar is salted with salt and antiseptics, it can be successfully stored up to one year in the refrigerator.
Sturgeon’s caviar is stored in barrels in the refrigerator at -2-3 ° C up to a year. Storage temperature can be lowered to -8 ° C. Relative humidity should not exceed 85%.

Defects of eggs can be divided into natural, that depend on the habitat of fish and artificial, that are the result of violation of the process and the required storage conditions. The natural defects include grass smack, mud taste, and smell of petroleum. The artificial defects are spicy taste, sour fermentation, bitterness, white inclusions, weakened eggs, and mold.
Flavor of grass found in the roe of sturgeon. This flavor is due to the feeding of fish, and may not always be strongly expressed.

Smack of sludge in the caviar appears in the fish that lives in muddy reservoirs.
The smell of petroleum products may occur in the eggs of fish caught in areas of water contaminated with petroleum products.
Spicy taste is characterized by a weak sour taste, caused by incorrect storage of eggs.
Sour fermentation appears because of the same reasons as spicy taste. Preventions of this defect -adequate preservation of eggs with salt and antiseptics, strict sanitary conditions of processing and packaging, low storage temperature.

Bitterness is a defect, which may be caused by salt or by oxidation of fat in the roe. In the first case, a bitter taste in the mouth quickly disappears.
Preventive measures - storing eggs at low temperatures, using of high-quality salt, correct handling of containers.

Weakened grain is a defect when shells of eggs break from a slight pressure. The reason of this defect is usually a delay of salting. Such eggs cannot withstand long-term storage.

Preventive measures against the sour fermentation: a strictly sanitary conditions of processing and packaging, low temperature and not too long storage.
So, we conclude, that the storage of eggs must be very careful, if you want to protect yourself from losses and disappointments.

In Russian traditions there are two symbols, which make Russia known in the whole world: caviar and vodka are inseparable because they complete each other very well. It is important that vodka must be cooled, because in this condition it does not spoil the taste of caviar. Caviar houses propose to taste this combination, calling it “a la Rus”.
All other drinks will not give the fullest taste of eggs, because it will interrupt the taste. 

Champagne and caviar: the French love.
When the Europeans has appreciated the caviar as a delicacy (it happened at the beginning of last century thanks to the brothers Petrosyan, who brought it to France), of course, the companion of caviar became champagne. Since then, the champagne and caviar are perceived as a classic wine-gastronomic union and the symbol of luxury.
Telling about the perfect compatibility of this wine with food in general, we can note the two most successful alternatives: a) champagne and food perfectly match each other, and b) it works on the contrast, that means that characteristics are opposite but they complete each other perfectly. Once again a classic example - black caviar: its salty taste and fresh sour champagne. Spoon of caviar - a sip of champagne, again caviar - again champagne ... The infinite pleasure! 

Vodka and Caviar: Russian version.


Good vodka is expensive drink and requires a decent accompaniment: caviar, salted and smoked salmon, sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, as well as marinated mushrooms, pancakes or dumplings. Of course, good effect is given not only by expensive caviar and sturgeon, but more simple foods - boiled potatoes and fresh green onions and other good simple food. These snacks give you to feel vodka’s best taste and at the same time allow you to control intoxication. Vodka comes from Russia and, therefore, traditional snacks are also relevant to the national Russian cuisine, and the black and red caviar are in the first place. If you are not sure what kind of vodka will better fit with caviar, we recommend you vodka that has no additives and flavorings.
In our online shop you can order caviar and alcohol.

  Perhaps no one will argue against the fact that black caviar is not only an exquisite delicacy, but also a very useful product that strengthen your health. However, few men know what healing properties sturgeon roe has. We advise you to read our short article to bring some clarity to this question. We’ll tell you about the most valuable medicinal properties of black caviar.
Caviar is one of the most nutritious food. Sturgeon’s roe contains about 30% of high-protein, that is rarity for animal protein, and 10-13% digestible fats. Caviar is rich in lecithin, fat-soluble vitamins A and D, vitamin E and Group B. There are significant amount of minerals in eggs such as calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron, manganese, iodine , silicon and zinc. Fat of caviar is characterized by a higher iodine number than the fat of meat of the same fish.

We must say that caviar is not a medicine. Therefore, we recommend it simply as a preventative and restorative remedy. Organic iodine, phosphorus and calcium, contained in the eggs as well as a large number of very beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega 3 and Omega-6 as part of its proteins, help to improve brain function, improve immunity, reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, and improve blood circulation in small blood vessels. Eating eggs also decreases the risk of developing certain types of cancer and is useful for vision. Black caviar is recommended when there is a shortage of iron in the body. 

 Caviar in the diet of pregnant women should be present as a highly digestible protein product and the source of various minerals and vitamins that is necessary for both mother and baby. Iron improves hemoglobin, magnesium prevents leg cramps, folic acid is essential for the development of all organs and tissues. But it should not be abused, because eggs contain salt. If a pregnant woman has a tendency to edema, high blood pressure, and protein appeared in the urine – the eggs must be excluded from the diet.

Caviar without preservatives can’t live long! It's true. Unlike other tinned food eggs in cans is not sterilized. Too delicate, it becomes a mess when it is heated. The only way to preserve eggs is to add preservatives and to make vacuum package. Plants can produce eggs without preservatives, but it can be stored only 4 months, that means it will not live till spawning to the New Year. Adding preservatives to the eggs allows to store it 12 months and to buy it all year round. Preservatives in the caviar are not a whim of producers, but a necessity due to the peculiarities of the product.
   With all the fear and horror of consumers, we need rationally estimate the situation: the word "preservative" is not so bad, as a specific substance that lies behind it. Normal kitchen salt in eggs is not only a flavor additive, but also a preservative. But it is possible to be poisoned by salt: a dose of 30-45 g causes acute poisoning. A mixture of the two preservatives is used for preserving eggs: sorbic acid E200 and urotropine E239. Both are approved for use.
Yet it must be remembered that the preservatives can cause allergies, headaches, gastro-intestinal tract. In some diseases, such as kidney disease, kidney stones, hypertension, coronary heart disease salt is excluded from the diet. The content of salt in the caviar is the main reason why patients should limit or eliminate its use in food.

It is not recommended for children under 3 years to eat eggs, because they have not yet fully formed the work of the gastrointestinal tract.

Non-black black caviar
Black caviar is extracted from sturgeon. Just to mention, that in fact it is not entirely black. There are following types of caviar. The most delicious and popular is beluga’s caviar with silver-gray color, the owner of the largest eggs and refined taste. The second position belongs to acipenser caviar: the color of a dark-bronze, smaller eggs and slightly noticeable odor. Caviar of stellate sturgeon is on the last position: the smallest eggs, hard, really black, with a strong peculiar flavor. But the most expensive and rare is caviar "Almas" - yellow eggs of beluga-albino, which sells for $ 2000 per hundred grams. It is delivered from Iran in special jars, made of pure gold.

 Qualitative salting
 Roe has more calories than meat. It is rich in proteins, fats and mineral salts. It is full of phosphorus, potassium and zinc, vitamins and valuable fatty acids. All caviar is    prepared by the method of salting: the precious product is taken out from fish, the eggs are separated from the connective tissue, washed, dumped in a sieve, weighed  and added the required amount of salt. The process of salting of eggs lasts for several minutes, and ends when some amount of brine is formed. Good sign of proper  salting – eggs are intact in a jar, and well separated one from another.

 More recently, historians have discovered that earlier in Russia for the manufacture of caviar used only one type of salt - "Blue granatka", which was extracted in  underground mines somewhere in the Perm region. And it wasn’t allowed to cook eggs with another salt. True connoisseurs of "fish eggs" are in awe of the level of this mineral in the caviar. So, there was special small ball on the thinnest silver chain especially for French gourmets in the shop “Cannes Caviar House”. The ball is put on the roe, and if it plung immediately - the ratio of fat and salt is ideal.

"King’s delicacy" 

Caviar is a native Russian product that was used since time immemorial. Some people mistakenly think that in the old days it was served only in the homes of wealthy people. In fact, eggs were welcome guest at any table. The first written mention of the caviar belongs to 1240, and was made by the secretary of Batyj Khan. At that time the eggs were laid and heavily salted in wooden barrels, and the most expensive and demand was fresh, granular product from sturgeon and whitefish. In the eighteenth century, the famous chef of Marie Antoinette, Karem wrote that the Russian were pious and severe in the observance of religious canons. Most time of the year was occupied by the Orthodox fasting days. Especially Karem noted sturgeon roe, or as they called it in the south of Russia - "caviar". Europe tasted caviar only in the second half of the 19th century. By this time it has become delicious. French traders advertised eggs as a favorite food of the Russian tsars.

If for brandy and wine taste of the beverage is very important characteristic, taste of vodka, even luxury, people usually try to subdue. Point of view of experts on this subject are different: some say that the best vodka must be without any taste, like water, while others believe that it must have bitter aftertaste, and it should be drunk slowly in small sips. But everyone who loves this drink agrees that each sort of vodka has its own "character", taste and effect.

Many of those who drink “firewater” probably believe themselves to be real experts and connoisseurs of this drink. They will tell you what the good beverage is and what vodka is better. Of course, the question of good quality is very important, because everyone wants to drink quality product and to avoid bad. Good specialist usually has a rating of drinks: this beverage is good, this is not so good, and this stuff is the worst in the world!

Good vodka is made from good alcohol, clean water and some other components in small amounts that are added to the drink according to the recipe - for revealing the nuances of taste and aftertaste.

Traditions of drinking alcohol in the Slavic lands have deep roots. With time vodka covered a long and hard path. At different stages raw material for its production was wheat, potatoes, sugar beets.

Our company has become a worthy successor of the experience and traditions of their predecessors, and inventor of new technologies and the author of unique products that are widely represented not only in Russia but also abroad.

Thanks to modern technology, high-quality materials and following the ancient traditions, our vodka has a consistently high quality and great taste. Taste it - and you'll feel cool spring water, complete saturation of ripe wheat. It will give you a sense of your uniqueness and strength in a surprisingly harmonious world of your life!

Some characteristics of our vodka:

- HIGH QUALITY - All components of products pass strict quality control. Particular attention is paid to the stability of flavor and bouquet.

- GOOD TASTE - Soft, with a slight aftertaste.
- ORIGINAL - They are unique and unusual

- MODERN – It will decorate your banquet, will create the atmosphere for a relaxing and enjoyable companionship.

For a long time in Russia there was no red caviar, but black was always eaten. However, until the nineteenth century it was more usual dainties than a luxury delicacy.

Traveler William Cox wrote that in St. Petersburg's Summer Garden on one of the holidays for the common people (that was made by Catherine II) "the table was littered with different kinds of meals – high pyramids of sandwiches with caviar, fried sturgeon, carp and other fish, decorated with crayfish, onions, cucumbers" . Russian boyars, who knew a lot about gastronomy, of course loved this black treasure.

At the end of the XVIII century Frenchman Antoine Careme Marie (well-known European culinary authority) took service with Prince Pyotr Bagration. In his letters chef described habits of Russian life and, of course, cuisine.   He noted a variety of culinary dishes with vegetables, mushrooms and berries, but especially - fish. He mentioned sturgeon roe, which he was admired. Due to the Frenchman, the world have got an international term - "caviar": "So called Astrakhan excellent dish of sturgeon bowels.”

Black caviar is now used exclusively for the snack table (for sandwiches). But before it was served to hot meals: pancakes, potato dishes, soups etc.

In Russia caviar served with vodka, because it does not suppress the delicate taste of the caviar. The French prefer to combine caviar and champagne. The Greeks love appetizer of caviar in olive oil with onions and potatoes. Well what can I say! If you really want to suppress the taste of the delicacy – put garlic in it!
Black caviar on the table is a sign of wealth, luxury and good taste of the host. So if you are served with caviar – that means that you are in great demand in this house, appreciate that!