Fish book son indd

G.M.Palatnikov,  R.U.Qasimov
148
chef mentioned various dishes made from vegetables, mushrooms, berries, 
but especially those made from fi sh. Among the latt er he highlighted sturgeon 
caviar, which he genuinely admired. Thanks to him, the term  caviar became 
international. The word khavyar from which the English term ‘caviar’ was 
supposedly derived, is fi rst encountered in the records of Khan Baty, dated 
1240. Khan himself learned this word from the Persians, who loved the dish 
called ‘chav-jar’, which can be roughly translated as ‘meal of strength’.
The roe is obtained from the reproductive organs of the female, the 
ovaries. The ovaries consist of two symmetric fl att ened shaped cylinders. In 
terms of their weight the ovaries comprise a signifi cant part of the body of the 
fi sh: up to 34.5 percent of a female sturgeon. However, roe cannot be obtained 
from every fi sh; fi rst it must reach sexual maturity.
As they ripen, the egg shells harden and become stronger, and at certain 
stage become easily detached from the connective tissue of the ovary and 
from each other. At this stage the roe is considered the best to be prepared 
for caviar.
The yolk mass (protoplasm) of an egg represents a colloid system with its 
components presented as an emulsion. To prepare high-quality caviar the roe 
must be extracted straight aft er killing the fi sh and brined immediately.
              
A                                        B
Layout and structure of sturgeon roe
Fig. A. shows a sturgeon egg consisting of a multilayer shell (1) and 
vitelline substance with fat drops. Fig. B shows the ripened sturgeon egg, 
which has a shell (1), vitelline substance (2), fat drops (3), and embryo vesicle 
(ocellus) (4).

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Sturgeons – contemporaries of dinosaurs
149
The proteins in the roe are complete and mainly classifi ed as those of 
the globulin or albumin class. The roe fat is characterized by a higher iodine 
absorption number than that of the meat of the same fi sh, and contains a 
large amount of very useful Omega-type polyunsaturated fatt y acids. The 
roe fat contains a large amount of cholesterin (1.5 to 14.0 percent), lecithin (1.0 
to 43 percent), as well as vitamins A, D, B, C. Furthermore, the roe contains 
signifi cant amounts of S, K, Na, Ca, Mg, as well as Si, Zn, Fe, Mn, J, etc.
The human body ingests the proteins, fat and mineral substances from 
the roe much easier than those contained in the meat of the same fi sh, which 
is the main therapeutic advantage of caviar.
To remove the ovary with the roe from the fi sh belly, it is cut open and the 
fi sh, naturally, dies. Today more merciful method, called ‘sturgeon milking’, 
is used: the fi sh is caught and given a pain-killer shot, then the roe is removed, 
the  belly stitched up, and the fi sh is returned to the water.
The caviar of each fi sh species is packed in cans with lids of a specifi ed 
color.
Beluga and starlet caviar    Russian sturgeon caviar            Starred sturgeon
 
blue lids               
    yellow lids 
                   red lids
According to their market value, beluga caviar is ranked No.1, followed 
by Russian sturgeon and starred sturgeon caviars.
According to the Russian classifi cation, the bigger and lighter in color the 
eggs in the caviar, the higher the caviar is valued. A good example is beluga 
caviar, which is lighter in color and greater in size than the smaller caviar of 
the Russian sturgeon or starred sturgeon.
Unlike Russia, where sturgeon caviar is classifi ed only by the species 
of  fi sh from which it is extracted, European caviar experts have their own 
system of  sturgeon caviar classifi cation. According to them, the age of fi sh 
and its genetic and territorial origin are of great importance.
Experts can easily determine the diff erence between samples of caviar of 
one species of fi sh obtained from diff erent water areas, or between samples 

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G.M.Palatnikov,  R.U.Qasimov
150
of caviar taken from American, Russian and Iranian sturgeons. They do it 
according to DNA analysis technology to which caviar is subjected everywhere 
in the West, because people pay good money for the caviar and do not want 
to be cheated and instead of high quality caviar be provided with illegally 
produced caviar containing sand, dirty water and lots of bacteria.
For example, caviar gourmets say the very dark-grain caviar taken from 
15-20 year old starred sturgeon diff ers in taste from that of the 30 year old fi sh 
of the same species. If the starred sturgeon is 35 years old, its caviar is called 
‘classic gray’ and its grains are light in color. Starred sturgeon caviar has a 
distinctive taste that cannot be confused with that of other sturgeon caviars.
In the West Russian sturgeon caviar is also split into several types: the 20 
year old sturgeon produces the “royal black caviar”, which is totally black in 
color. A 45-year old sturgeon produces Rogen Osietra, while a sturgeon more 
than 85 years old produces the gold-colored “Imperial caviar”. Sturgeon 
caviar may have a natural fl avor resembling the taste of a walnut.
The beluga lays eggs of time-stained silver, from black and gray to silver-
anthracite. Beluga caviar has large eggs with a thin skin and a fi sh-meat taste, 
soft er than that of other sturgeons.
The most exotic caviar of all sturgeons is The Golden Caviar. It has a 
goldish and amber color unmatched among the caviars of other fi sh. The 
most unusual in color, the goldish sturgeon caviar is called ‘royal’. In past 
times royal caviar was supplied to the emperors of Manchuria, the tsars of 
Russia and even to the Vatican. In Iran it was served only to the Shah’s table 
and anyone who tried to sell or eat gold caviar had his right hand cut off .
As for the stories of golden caviar from a hundred-year old beluga, these 
are just a fairy tale. In fact, the hue and color of sturgeon roe depends not on 
the age of the fi sh, but on the quantity of pigment in the ovule, specifi c to 
each individual species. It also depends on the individual life conditions and 
feeding specifi cs of each fi sh. Furthermore, sturgeons with ‘royal’ caviar do 
not necessarily have to be albinos. The main value of ‘royal’ caviar is not some 
distinct and heavenly taste but its scarcity.
As early as several hundred years ago people knew of the positive 
infl uence of caviar on human health. Even today it is given to children to 
prevent rickets and to patients undergoing post-surgical rehabilitation. In the 
past people extracted oils from the caviar and drank it, just as cod liver oil is 
drunk in Western Europe, thus obtaining the vitamins required for the body. 
The last Russian tsar, Nicolas II, believed in the curative properties of caviar 

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