Ossetra

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Ossetra caviar, salmon creme fraiche, potato shallot croquette, basil oil, egg whites and yolks Ossetra caviar.jpg
Ossetra caviar, salmon crème fraîche, potato shallot croquette, basil oil, egg whites and yolks

Ossetra (also Osetra, Oscietra, Osetrova, or Asetra) caviar is one of the most prized and expensive types of caviar [1] (eclipsed in price only by Beluga caviar). It is obtained from the Ossetra sturgeon, which weighs 50-400 pounds and can live up to 50 years.

Contents

Ossetra caviar varies in color from deep brown to gold. Lighter varieties are more sought after, as they have the richest flavor and come from the oldest sturgeon. Golden Ossetra is a rare form of Ossetra caviar and is golden-yellow with a very rich flavor. [2]

The word Ossetra is the transcription of the genitive case form "осетра" (osetra, "of sturgeon") of the Russian word "осётр" (osyotr "sturgeon") from the phrase икра осетра (ikra osetra, "caviar of sturgeon"). At one time, "ossetra" referred to Russian sturgeon species harvested for this type of caviar.

Source animals

In Russian, there are different names for the species of sturgeon that live in various territories, such as Beluga (Huso huso), Sevruga ( Acipenser stellatus ) and Sterlet ( Acipenser ruthenus ). The name Ossetra corresponds to the species Acipenser gueldenstaedtii , which is much smaller than Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso), and has a firmer texture. In the territory of the Russian Federation dwells another type of sturgeon, Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser Baerii), which is farmed all over the world because it can adapt to a wider range of habitats. It begins to produce caviar faster than Acipenser gueldenstaedtii.

Production

Today, the Ossetra-bearing species faces extinction in its native Caspian habitat because wild-caught Russian sturgeon (acipenser gueldenstaedtii) are immediately slaughtered to determine their sex and egg-bearing condition. Farm-raised sturgeon are periodically scanned by harmless ultrasound to make the same determination. Continuous drastic declines in natural sturgeon populations over the past 30 years, plus a high market demand for caviar, have led the way for the cultivation of sturgeon for caviar production. Russia, Iran, members of the European Union, China, and the USA were among the first; however, for the very same reasons, more countries outside the natural range of Caspian native sturgeons also became involved (e.g., Uruguay, Arabian countries, Israel, Iran, Italy and more recently Vietnam).

As with all other caviar, ossetra is traditionally served on blinis with crème fraiche, chopped hard-boiled egg whites, and chopped onions. Lower-grade varieties of caviar are used as stuffing in many seafood and meat dishes. Caviar is often added to salads as well.

Related Research Articles

Sturgeon is the common name for the 28 species of fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae. The earliest sturgeon fossils date to the Late Cretaceous, and are descended from other, earlier acipenseriform fish, which date back to the Early Jurassic period, some 174 to 201 million years ago. They are one of two living families of the Acipenseriformes alongside paddlefish (Polyodontidae). The family is grouped into four genera: Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus, and Pseudoscaphirhynchus. Two species may be extinct in the wild, and one may be entirely extinct. Sturgeons are native to subtropical, temperate and sub-Arctic rivers, lakes and coastlines of Eurasia and North America. A Maastrichtian-age fossil found in Morocco shows that they also once lived in Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caviar</span> Food consisting of salt-cured roe

Caviar is a food consisting of salt-cured roe of the family Acipenseridae. Caviar is considered a delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or spread. Traditionally, the term caviar refers only to roe from wild sturgeon in the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The term caviar can also describe the roe of other species of sturgeon or other fish such as paddlefish, salmon, steelhead, trout, lumpfish, whitefish, or carp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beluga caviar</span> Caviar made of the roe of the beluga sturgeon (Huso huso)

Beluga caviar is caviar consisting of the roe of the beluga sturgeon Huso huso. The fish is found primarily in the Caspian Sea, which is bordered by Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. It can also be found in the Black Sea basin and occasionally in the Adriatic Sea. Beluga caviar is the most expensive type of caviar, with market prices ranging from $7,000 to $22,000/kg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beluga (sturgeon)</span> Species of fish in the sturgeon family

The beluga, also known as the beluga sturgeon or great sturgeon, is a species of anadromous fish in the sturgeon family (Acipenseridae) of the order Acipenseriformes. It is found primarily in the Caspian and Black Sea basins, and formerly in the Adriatic Sea. Based on maximum size, it is the third-most-massive living species of bony fish. Heavily fished for the female's valuable roe, known as beluga caviar, wild populations have been greatly reduced by overfishing and poaching, leading IUCN to classify the species as critically endangered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaluga (fish)</span> Species of sturgeon

The kaluga, also known as the river beluga, is a large predatory sturgeon found in the Amur River basin. With a maximum size of at least 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) and 5.6 m (18.6 ft), the kaluga is one of the biggest of the sturgeon family. Like the slightly larger beluga, it spends part of its life in salt water. Unlike the beluga, this fish has 5 major rows of dermal scutes and feeds on salmon and other fish in the Amur with its nail like teeth in its jaws. They have gray-green to black backs with a yellowish green-white underbelly.

Acipenser is a genus of sturgeons. With 17 living species, it is the largest genus in the order Acipenseriformes. The genus is paraphyletic, containing all sturgeons that do not belong to Huso, Scaphirhynchus, or Pseudoscaphirhynchus, with many species more closely related to the other three genera than they are to other species of Acipenser. They are native to freshwater and estuarine systems of Eurasia and North America, and most species are threatened. Several species also known to enter near-shore marine environments in the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans.

Sevruga caviar is one of the highest priced varieties of caviar, eclipsed in cost only by the Beluga and Ossetra varieties. It is harvested from a variety of critically endangered sturgeon fish species, that are known for their small, grey colored eggs. In eastern Europe, it is harvested from the Sevruga sturgeon, the Sterlet sturgeon and the Siberian sturgeon, which are native to the Caspian Sea and the surrounding rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White sturgeon</span> Species of fish

White sturgeon is a species of sturgeon in the family Acipenseridae of the order Acipenseriformes. They are an anadromous (migratory) fish species ranging in the Eastern Pacific; from the Gulf of Alaska to Monterey, California. However, some are landlocked in the Columbia River Drainage, Montana, and Lake Shasta in California, with reported sightings in northern Baja California, Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sterlet</span> Species of fish

The sterlet is a relatively small species of sturgeon from Eurasia native to large rivers that flow into the Black Sea, Azov Sea, and Caspian Sea, as well as rivers in Siberia as far east as Yenisei. Populations migrating between fresh and salt water (anadromous) have been extirpated. It is also known as the sterlet sturgeon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fauna of Azerbaijan</span> Native animals of Azerbaijan

Fauna of Azerbaijan or animal kingdom of Azerbaijan refers to the diversity of various types of animals, which inhabit and populate a defined ground or water area in Azerbaijan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starry sturgeon</span> Species of fish

The starry sturgeon also known as stellate sturgeon or sevruga, is a species of sturgeon. It is native to the Black, Azov, Caspian and Aegean sea basins, but it has been extirpated from the last and it is predicted that the remaining natural population will follow soon due to overfishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siberian sturgeon</span> Species of fish

The Siberian sturgeon is a species of sturgeon in the family Acipenseridae. It is most present in all of the major Siberian river basins that drain northward into the Kara, Laptev and East Siberian Seas, including the Ob, Yenisei Lena, and Kolyma Rivers. It is also found in Kazakhstan and China in the Irtysh River, a major tributary of the Ob. The species epithet honors the German Russian biologist Karl Ernst von Baer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian sturgeon</span> Species of fish

The Russian sturgeon, also known as the diamond sturgeon or Danube sturgeon, is a species of fish in the family Acipenseridae. It is found in Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine. It is also found in the Caspian Sea. This fish can grow up to about 235 cm (93 in) and weigh 115 kg (254 lb). Russian sturgeon mature and reproduce slowly, making them highly vulnerable to fishing. It is distinguished from other Acipenser species by its short snout with a rounded tip as well as its lower lip which is interrupted at its center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bastard sturgeon</span> Species of fish

The bastard sturgeon, also known as the fringebarbel sturgeon, ship sturgeon, spiny sturgeon, or thorn sturgeon, is a species of fish in the family Acipenseridae. These fish are typically found along the benthos of shallower waters near shorelines or estuaries.

Kaluga Queen is a Chinese brand of caviar made by the caviar company Hangzhou Qiandaohu Xunlong Sci-Tech Co., Ltd. The company produces 60 tonnes of caviar annually, making it the largest producer of caviar in the world and responsible for 60% of world production. Kaluga Queen supplies caviar for 21 of the 26 3-starred Michelin restaurants in Paris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sturddlefish</span> Hybrid fish

The sturddlefish is a hybrid of the American paddlefish and the Russian sturgeon, accidentally created by researchers in 2019 and announced in 2020. Obtaining living hybrids through breeding individuals from different families is unusual, especially given that the two species' last common ancestor lived 184 million years ago. The hybrids were created accidentally during attempts to induce gynogenesis, a type of parthenogenic reproduction where a sperm cell must be present to trigger embryogenesis but does not genetically contribute to the offspring. Hundreds of hybrid fish were created, of which about two-thirds survived over one month, and about 100 survived for one year. As of July 2020, all living hybrid fish are living in captivity at the research lab in Hungary. There are no current plans to create new sturddlefish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exotic and Unusual Fishes of North America</span> PBS documentaries

Exotic and Unusual Fishes of North America is the name of a series of PBS documentary television specials about three species of American fish: The Alligator Gar: Predator or Prey?, The Paddlefish: An American Treasure, and Sturgeon: Ancient Survivors of the Deep. They were presented by KUHT Houston television station, and aired in the United States from 1992 to 1995.

References

  1. "Ossetra Caviar - Imperia Caviar". www.imperiacaviar.com.
  2. "Ossetra caviar".