You may have seen her climb into a tank full of sturgeons for golden caviar in an episode of E!’s “Buying for Billionaires.” For Deborah Keane, satisfying the requests of her most discerning clients is all in a day’s work. As the founder of California Caviar Company—which she launched in 2007—Keane has helped pioneer the sustainable seafood movement by sourcing caviar from farm-raised fish and, most recently, practicing no-kill techniques. Below, she shares her top ten facts about the revered delicacy.
1.
It can only be called caviar if it comes from sturgeon, a fin fish—if it comes from scaled fish (salmon or trout, for example) it’s considered roe.
2.
It is illegal to capture sturgeon in the wild and harvest its eggs because all sturgeon species, like Beluga, are on the endangered list. You can only get this type of premium caviar from farms.
3.
Caviar is an über food—it has more minerals and nutrients that any other protein, ounce for ounce.
4.
Nature’s Viagra? Caviar contains high levels of taurine, a natural stimulant, and arginine, a vasodilator that opens up blood vessels.
5.
Due to depleted sources and availability, the world is consuming half the amount of caviar than we did in the mid-1970s.
6.
According to legend, one of Jackie O’s diets consisted of a single baked potato, stuffed with Beluga caviar and sour cream.
7.
Caviar pairs well with beverages other than champagne and vodka. Try pairing it with beer, sake or wine at your next soirée.
8.
It goes great on a potato chip. Top chefs and caviar connoisseurs alike consider it the best version of fish and chips.
9.
Caviar can now be extracted without killing the fish. For the first time ever, using the Kohler Process, the eggs can be harmlessly harvested through a patented massage and rinsing technique.
10.
It can take anywhere from eight to 18 years for the sturgeon to produce mature eggs that are large enough for caviar harvesting.
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