Going Green - Siberian Caviar

AllBusiness.com recently posted up an article about Siberian Caviar and sustainability in general. The article details farming methods employed by Georgian fisheries which has led to Siberian caviar which rivals those from the Caspian Sea.

MOTE Marine Laboratory, located in Sarasota, Florida, is another leading producer of Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser Baeri) caviar. Although I have yet to try the caviar from Georgia, I can attest to the quality and taste of Siberian Caviar from MOTE's farm in Florida. Since adding MOTE Siberian Caviar to our variety of caviars, it has quickly become a customer favorite.

The taste is buttery, slightly salty, and extremely silky on the tongue. We often suggest it to those trying caviar for the first time, as it has very subtle "seafood" undertones. Best of all, it comes at a fraction of the price when compared to varieties of Russian and Iranian caviar.

Caviar Nutritional Information

We get plenty of people inquiring about the nutritional information of caviar. Hopefully this article will answer most of your questions, and clear up any gray-areas regarding caviar and your health.

NutritionData.com has a nice page detailing caviar nutritional information for 1 table spoon, 1 ounce, and 100 grams. The nutritional label is pictured to the right. They describe caviar as a good source of Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Protein, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Iron, Magnesium and Selenium. The negatives are that caviar is very high in Cholesterol and Sodium.

The problem however is that the TYPE of caviar is not documented, instead the caviar is merely described as "Fish, caviar, black and red, granular".

Caviar Luxe is another great site that provides comprehensive information about caviar, including nutritional information. They describe caviar as tasteful and healthy, and as a good source of calcium and phosphorus, as well as protein, selenium, iron, magnesium, and Vitamins B12, B6, B2, B44, C, A, and D. They also mention that "[o]ne tablespoon of caviar contains a gram of Omega-3 fatty acids, which help prevent heart disease."

About.com Home Cooking section has a little snipped about caviar and your health. They say that for those watching their cholesterol and salt intake, caviar should be reserved as a rare treat as it is high on both counts. On the other hand, caviar is a rich source of vitamins A and D, as well as omega-3 fatty acids which some researchers say can aid in deterring depression.

Caviar is also touted as a hangover remedy due to its high content of acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter believed to play a key role in memory retention) which lines the stomach and increases the body's tolerance to alcohol. Arginine, a vascular dilator in caviar, helps increase bloodflow, thus the claim as an aphrodisiac. Surprisingly, airlines purchase about fifty percent of the world's caviar to serve to their first-class passengers.

Very interesting, think about that next time you are having a shot of vodka with your Ossetra Caviar amidst flying first-class to Amsterdam.

Lastly, another insightful read on Medicinenet.com linking caviar as an anti-depressant. The article highlights recent research that suggests that people suffering from depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental health problems can benefit from diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids - found in abundance in certain types of fish and caviar.

In the end, just like anything in life, moderation is key. Caviar is a delicacy to savor and enjoy thoroughly on occasion. Although tempting, eating caviar daily can be detrimental to your health, and most certainly, to your wallet.

The Caviar Black Market

A short (15 minute) video on YouTube details caviar in general, then focuses on the caviar black market in Kazakhstan. The video even shows the narrator going into a local market where hidden cameras show a kilogram of caviar being offered without any CITES or government approval.


Although I have never been to Kazakhstan, a recent trip to Russia rendered similar results for myself. I was stunned to see how easy it was to attain caviar from the local "markets" for ridiculously low prices. Don't be fooled however, as there is no way of assessing the quality of the caviar including its true origins. Sellers at markets are notorious for selling you Beluga caviar, when in reality it is Sevruga or even farmed caviar. Good luck finding them to try to get your money back.

Even though regulations imposed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife services + CITES have driven prices up exponentially, the quality of caviar has also increased with regulation. This is great for caviar purveyors and consumers as any notable caviar company in the United States today is guaranteed to be obtaining their selection of caviar from legitimate regulated sources.

Sustainable Caviar farm in Latvia

Read an interesting article in the Times Online (British paper) about a Latvian caviar farm that uses ultrasound to extract caviar from sturgeons without killing the fish.

I have heard of other fisheries using similar techniques, but the major problem most have run into is the viability of the sturgeon after the initial extraction procedure.

It's good to see that fisheries are trying new methods however, and even better that this is getting some exposure in such a major newspaper. It's interesting to think that once this method is perfected, a properly cared for sturgeon can continuously produce viable caviar for it's entire life-span (50 to 150 years), instead of killing the sturgeon once it can produce proper eggs (7 to 15 years).

First Caviar Express Caviar Blog post!

Caviar Express is Blogging!

My name is Alex, and I am the President of Caviar Express, an online retailer of caviar based out of Southern California.

While updating our entire website, I realized that there were only a handful of "caviar blogs" out there on the internet. So I am starting this blog as a place where caviar connoisseurs, and caviar novices alike, can come to read about caviar.

Hopefully overtime, we can form a unique database of caviar-related articles and posts relevant to the caviar industry for both caviar consumers and professionals in the industry.

Enjoy!