Russian and world market of black caviar. World leaders in the export of black caviar Where is black caviar produced

Black caviar is considered one of the most nutritious and balanced foods, as well as a world famous symbol of luxury. However, the consumption of black caviar can hardly be called environmentally responsible. Poaching, hydrotechnical development of rivers and pollution of the aquatic environment have led to a sharp decrease in the sturgeon population.

Until 1991, Russia was a key player in the world in terms of sturgeon fishing and export of caviar products. IN best years our country caught up to 28 thousand tons of sturgeon fish for domestic needs and produced up to 2-2.8 thousand tons of caviar. At the same time, the world export market for this product exceeded 570 tons per year. The Caspian Sea produced 90 percent of all exported caviar, of which, on average, sturgeon caviar accounted for 50.6%, Russian sturgeon caviar - 38.5% and beluga caviar - 9.9%.

At the end of the 20th century, caviar smuggling in the world reached unprecedented volumes. In this regard, the UN Committee on International Trade in Endangered Species - has limited fishing sturgeon fish and export of black caviar to Russia and all the Caspian countries of the former USSR. The only state in this region that was not affected by the ban was Iran.

From wildlife black caviar is not legally mined. The ban was introduced in 2007 and supported by the five Caspian states, which are located around the Caspian - the world's main habitat for sturgeons. The center of illegal production of black caviar has moved from the Astrakhan lower reaches of the Volga to the lower reaches of the Amur in Khabarovsk.

After the introduction of a ban on sturgeon hunting in France, Germany, Italy, the USA, Canada, China, Uruguay, Spain, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and other countries, more than 140 farms were created to breed sturgeon fish in order to obtain food caviar from it.

World producers of black caviar: Iran - 60 tons, USA - 50 tons, France - 30 tons, Italy - 26 tons, Germany - 15 tons, Latin America - 15 tons, Israel - 7, Spain - 5 tons. In China, according to the Rosselkhoznadzor, 136 enterprises are accredited, which have the right to supply sturgeon species of fish and their caviar to the Russian Federation. Experts estimate the total production of black caviar in China at 80-100 tons, mostly low-quality products. At the same time, there is also high-quality caviar in China - for example, the product of the Kaluga Queen company is bought by the best restaurants in the world. The company's products were served to heads of state at the G20 summit in China in 2016.

Today, the legal turnover of black caviar in the world foreign market is approximately 350-450 tons per year, while its capacity continues to be estimated by experts at the level of 1000 tons per year.

Observations on the Russian caviar market show that the domestic market has fallen from 420 tons to 170 tons of illegal caviar over the past six years. This trend confirms the presence serious problems with a sturgeon herd on the Caspian Sea. Also on the illegal domestic market in last years began to receive caviar from the Siberian regions and the Far East. A number of companies that have been working with smuggling for a long time began to leave the shadow area for legal business. This situation can be characterized as stagnant for the illegal trade in black caviar. Gradually, caviar from various countries of the world began to enter the domestic market, which confirms the tendency of this sector to move into a legal direction and a large capacity for this product in Russia.

According to experts, as a result of a significant reduction (by 2.5 times) in the volume of illegally harvested black caviar, the capacity of the domestic market decreased from 430.1 tons in 2010 to 224.3 tons in 2016. Despite the fact that the aquaculture production of black caviar has shown significant growth (by 3.3 times) over the past 6 years, it is not enough to compensate for the market decline.

In the Russian Federation, the production of black caviar has grown over the past 6 years from 13.1 tons in 2010 to 44 tons in 2016. Imports in 2016 amounted to 7.5 tons, including the supply of black caviar from China amounted to 5.5 tons. Compared to 2015, deliveries from China tripled from 1.8 tons to 5.5 tons. Exports in 2016 amounted to 7.2 tons.

Black caviar has been noticeably cheaper for the last five years. It grew sharply in price in the 1990s - early 2000s due to the mass destruction of several species: in just four years, from 1992 to 1995, the sturgeon population decreased four times, from 200 million to 50 million pieces, then caviar has risen in price in 20 times. In 2010, prices in Russia reached a maximum - sturgeon caviar cost 100-120 thousand rubles. for 1 kg. However, since then a decline has begun: in 2012, caviar cost about 80-90 thousand rubles, and now - from 40 thousand rubles. (dairy sturgeon) up to 70 thousand rubles. (killer beluga).

In the process of obtaining and processing, our sturgeon caviar is sorted according to organoleptic characteristics (color, size, taste, grain elasticity), as well as according to the method of preparation. The salt content in granular caviar is the same, but in different types and varieties it is felt differently. Black caviar goes on sale under the following trademarks:

Pasteurized granular caviar



In 2018, we improved the technology for the production of the “Standard” variety, as a result of which the differences between the varieties became almost indistinguishable, and the separation of pasteurized sturgeon caviar into varieties became impractical.

Unpasteurized granular caviar

Caviar variety / Characteristics
Grain size	medium (1.5–2 mm)	medium and large (2-3 mm)	medium and large (2-3 mm)
grain color	dark gray to black	gray to brownish	dark gray to brownish
The taste of caviar	tender caviar, slightly salted		full-bodied, with a slight bitterness
Appearance	shiny, with a translucent shell, slightly moist		silky texture, delicate translucent sheath

Varieties "Classic", "Premier" and "Imperial" differ from each other in the age and size of the fish from which the caviar was obtained. A special difference between the Imperial variety is that only caviar from fish over 15 years old is used for its preparation.

For its manufacture, the brine method is used (salting in brine) at a temperature of 40 ° C, after which the caviar is pressed into a homogeneous mass. Pressed caviar is made on pure salt, the content of which is not more than 5%. It is not divided into varieties, however, our assortment includes two types of pressed caviar.

Astrakhanka	Pressed sausage
pasteurized	unpasteurized

The consistency of pressed caviar in the sausage casing is firmer than that of Astrakhanka pressed caviar.

CAVIAR BY TYPE OF FISH GROWN IN OUR AQUACULTURE

Caviar differs not only in the methods of preparation and extraction, but also in the types of fish.

Type of fish / Characteristics	Grain size	grain color	Taste
Sturgeon	medium and large (1.5-3 mm)	gray to dark bronze or black	delicate caviar, with characteristic notes of nuts and cream
stellate sturgeon	medium (1.5 - 2 mm)	brownish to black	pronounced, with hints of nuts and cream
Bester	medium and large (2-3 mm)	from silver gray to anthracite shades	bright caviar, oily, close to the taste of beluga caviar
Sterlet	small (1-1.5 mm)	light brown to dark gray	subtle, with "marine" notes




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  Beluga caviar is considered to be the most valuable and best caviar. Beluga - amazing fish, capable of reaching enormous sizes and living up to the age of 100 years. Unfortunately, in modern conditions this is almost impossible, and it is this species that is now the least common, and its caviar is the rarest and most expensive.

  Now in aquaculture farms, both purebred sturgeons (Russian sturgeon, Siberian sturgeon) and their hybrids are bred: Russian-Lena sturgeon, stellate sturgeon with sterlet, Amur sturgeon and Kaluga. Caviar from "pure" sturgeon breeds is considered more valuable and tasty. The second factor is age: the older the fish, the better (and larger) the caviar from it. For example, in our assortment such caviar is produced under the brand name "Imperial". As for the type of caviar, this is rather a matter of taste, since many find the taste of the smallest and least valuable sterlet caviar the most attractive.

  
  

  Products under the Russian Caviar House brand name are real black caviar from the leader of the caviar market in Russia. Currently, the breeding of sturgeon in order to obtain caviar has become widespread. However, the vast majority of fish farms use closed-cycle reservoirs, which does not have the best effect on the taste of caviar. Our sturgeon breeding farm is located on the Suda River, in an ecologically favorable region of the Vologda Oblast, the fish is kept in cages in running water, in conditions as close to natural as possible. Therefore, the taste of our black caviar is pure, without discrediting shades or aftertastes. Thanks to the use of life-time caviar production technology, our broodstock is the oldest in Russia, some individuals are over 15 years old, and the older the fish, the tastier and more valuable its caviar.

  At the production enterprise "RTF Diana", which is part of the Group of Companies, a food safety management system (FSMS) has been implemented and is successfully operating in accordance with the requirements of ISO 22000, the FSSC 22000 certification scheme, a recognized organization - the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Annually, an independent inspector of the Russian branch of DQS GmbH conducts an audit. Therefore, our black caviar is a guaranteed environmentally friendly and safe product.

  One of our key advantages is the consistently high quality of products for many years, which is annually confirmed by diplomas and awards.

  Red caviar under our brand is caviar, the place of extraction and harvesting of which is Kamchatka and Sakhalin. Red caviar is packaged at our production facility in Moscow, after mandatory preliminary selection for organoleptic parameters and laboratory testing for food safety.

  
  

  At the moment, a kilogram of black caviar can be bought in Moscow and St. Petersburg at a price of 40,000 to 90,000 rubles.

  The price for legal sturgeon caviar starts from 45,000 rubles per 1 kilogram, and such a cost is relevant only for large packaging (500 - 1,000 g). A small 100-gram jar will cost at least 5,000 rubles, that is, already 50,000 rubles per 1 kg (if you do not take into account special offers and promotions of suppliers). The price of black sturgeon caviar of the highest category, obtained from individuals of at least 15 years of age, will already be from 70,000 rubles per 1 kg.

  The cost of black caviar also depends on the type of caviar: sterlet caviar is cheaper than sturgeon caviar, and beluga caviar - the most valuable and rare today - will cost one and a half to two times more than classic sturgeon caviar.

  
  

  There are two main components that determine the high cost of real (natural) black caviar.
  1. This is a valuable food product with unique taste qualities, which has no analogues.
  2. This is a rather rare product, the production of which now involves large investments.
  Indeed, the current cost of the delicacy is bewildering, some even accuse manufacturers of artificially inflating prices. In fact, the explanation for the current situation is simple: as long as a person got caviar from the wild, and the volumes of natural resources seemed inexhaustible, the cost of black caviar included, in fact, only the costs of catching fish, salting, packaging caviar and its transportation. Now the fish have to be grown, which is associated with huge costs. Moreover, the sturgeon is extremely difficult to breed and keep. To obtain caviar, a female sturgeon must reach sexual maturity, which is at least 6–9 years old. All this time, it is necessary to bear the risks of not only her death or illness, but also the costs of feeding and maintaining. However, despite the high price, the result is worth it: we can eat caviar of the highest quality and without harm to the environment.

  
  

  Given the effect of the moratorium on the extraction of caviar from the wild, which has been in force since 2007, it does not matter where the caviar aquaculture farm is located. The aquaculture of the "Russian Caviar House" is located in an ecologically clean area without industrial enterprises which has the best effect on product quality.

  The stereotype has historically taken root that “real” black caviar is only “wild” and only Astrakhan. Once upon a time it was. But today the situation has changed, and the Astrakhan region holds the sad first place in terms of the number of poached caviar sold through aquaculture farms. More than 70% of such products are of poaching origin: many Astrakhan companies do not hesitate to buy caviar from poachers and pass it off as produced under their own brand.

  Besides, ecological situation in the Caspian Sea is also deplorable, which calls into question the useful properties of Astrakhan caviar.
  

  
  

  Some argue that in Russia caviar has long been “not the same”, but imported caviar from France, Iran, Canada and other countries is much tastier. We hasten to upset the “experts”: most often, foreign producers do not have experience in the production of this product, they do not know how many factors affect the taste of caviar when growing fish ... What can we say about the quality of such caviar if foreign producers have difficulties already at the stage of creation the basic element of aquaculture is the rearing of broodstock, i.e. sturgeon females?

  It should also be noted that among the imported black caviar, Chinese caviar is beginning to occupy an increasing share. Given the level of pollution in China's rivers and the general unfavorable environmental situation, as well as the lack of state quality standards for the production of black caviar, one should be careful when purchasing such products.
  

  
  

  The most common and safest preservative is LIV-1. It is a mixture of salt-containing additives - sorbic and ascorbic acids. It is this new generation preservative that the Russian Caviar House company uses in the production of its unpasteurized black caviar.

  Salt has the main preservative property. But in order for the caviar to be lightly salted, the amount of salt should be minimal. Therefore, manufacturers use soft, gentle, but no less effective approved food additives.

  In counterfeit goods, for example, in order to mask the unpleasant taste and smell of a spoiled product, substances hazardous to human health may be added that are prohibited for use in Food Industry- for example, sodium tetraborate (borax).
  

  
  

  There are two traditions of serving black caviar - Russian and European. In Europe, caviar is served in special caviar bowls - large containers with ice - where a small glass or crystal vase with caviar is placed. In Russia, a few minutes before serving, caviar is laid out in glass, porcelain, silver containers, but no ice is added. It so happened historically that in Russia black caviar was always served fresh, and it took a long time to bring it to Europe. In the process of transportation, caviar lost its freshness and ended up on the table of Europeans with various flavors, which had to be masked with ice and lemon, which beat off the “fishy” smell. Therefore, the statement that caviar should be served on ice is erroneous. On the contrary, the caviar should warm up a little at room temperature - only then will it reveal its true taste to you.
  What drinks go well with black caviar?
  Black caviar is a traditional appetizer for the most traditional Russian drink - vodka. True connoisseurs simply bite vodka with caviar, scooping it up with a caviar spoon. The famous singer F.I. Chaliapin first ate caviar, and only then drank a glass of vodka. “They don’t eat caviar, they drink it with vodka,” he used to say. Slightly salty fatty taste of caviar is only emphasized by a sip of "fire water".
  Although the Russian traditions of eating black caviar reached other countries, of course, they could not but undergo changes. So, another classic combination was born in France - black caviar and champagne. It is good sparkling wine that goes well with the contrasting salty taste of caviar. It must be remembered that we are talking only about the best, elite varieties of classic French luxury class cuvee champagne.
  

  
  

  Pasteurized caviar is caviar that has undergone heat treatment in autoclaves or water baths. It differs from the "live" granular one in a tighter grain and a more neutral taste. Preservatives are not added to it, because. pasteurization replaces preservation.

  The main purpose of pasteurization is to increase the shelf life of the product. Unlike unpasteurized caviar, pasteurized caviar can be stored for up to 24 months, retaining its beneficial and nutritious properties. This allows you to transport caviar even to the most remote regions without worrying about the safety of the product quality.
  One of the disadvantages of a pasteurized product is that such caviar may lose some of its taste. Why is this happening? During pasteurization, there is a slight compaction of the shells of eggs and thickening of the yolk mass inside the eggs, the caviar becomes drier and more crumbly, its taste changes slightly. It becomes more neutral, which is very to the taste of people who do not really like seafood with a pronounced "fishy" flavor.

  Pasteurized granular caviar is made in accordance with GOST 6052-2004 from granular black caviar of the highest grade. After removing excess moisture, salt is added to the caviar - from 3 to 5% of the total caviar weight. Then the caviar is packaged in glass or metal jars, which are closed with tin lids and pasteurized - they are heated in autoclaves or water baths at a temperature of 60-65 ° C. Unlike unpasteurized caviar, pasteurized caviar can be stored even at room temperature.
  

  
  

  Black caviar is a storehouse of useful vitamins and minerals that a person needs for normal life. We decided to use a concise and descriptive picture to answer this question:

  
  

  
  

  The export of caviar is regulated by the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation as follows:

  It is allowed to export no more than 250 grams of black sturgeon caviar per person.
  Other seafood (including red caviar) - no more than 5 kg per person.
  We recommend that you take caviar and seafood in your checked baggage to prevent them from being confiscated by airport security (such products may not be allowed in carry-on baggage).
  The presence of documents confirming the origin of products is desirable, but not mandatory from the point of view of legislation.
  Please note that in many countries the allowed amount of imported delicacies is regulated, so learn more about the rules for importing caviar to the country where you are traveling.

  
  

  First, it is worth noting that fakes can be of two types:
  1) imitation of black caviar (for example, dyed pike caviar or alginic caviar from algae) - that is, not sturgeon caviar, but similar in appearance and passed off as it;
  2) poaching or Chinese caviar, under the guise of caviar from well-known manufacturers.
  In the first case, the price (most likely suspiciously low), color and appearance, as well as the composition (if it is indicated honestly).
  In the second case, it is not easy to be sure. Even if the seller shows you the documents for the products, they will not be easy for an inexperienced buyer to understand.
  Therefore, the most reliable way to protect yourself from buying fake caviar or counterfeit products is to buy black caviar directly from the manufacturer or its official representatives.
  

  
  

  The most correct thing would be not to store caviar at all, but to eat it as soon as possible. But if the caviar was bought for the holiday, then we recommend putting the jar on the topmost shelf of the refrigerator closer to the back wall. Since the household refrigerator does not provide the optimal temperature regime for storing caviar (-2-4 ° С), you can get as close as possible to the desired temperature regime. However, in no case do not freeze the caviar and do not store it in the freezer, as this will greatly spoil both the appearance of the caviar and its taste.

  When closed and at the correct storage temperature, caviar is able to maintain freshness throughout the entire shelf life. If the package has already been opened, the product should be consumed within 3 days.

  
  

  It is worth buying caviar only from official manufacturers. As a rule, such companies own their own sturgeon breeding enterprises, where sturgeon are grown.
  Require official documents for purchased products - first of all, a CITES certificate certifying that caviar is obtained from fish grown in aquaculture.
  Buy caviar in the right packaging - a tin or glass jar. No wonder sturgeon caviar is called "black gold" - like a noble metal, its weight is measured in grams and ounces, which is indicated on the packaging. There can be no loose legal black caviar!
  Take a closer look at the contents of the package (if we are talking about a glass jar). Fake caviar has eggs - like a selection, strictly of the same color, one size and one shape. For real caviar, a slight deviation in the size and color of the eggs is permissible, and inside the caviar there must be a noticeable core - the so-called "eye".
  The packaging must be sealed - when opened glass jar You should hear a light pop, this is a sign that the jar has been sealed under vacuum.
  In no case do not buy caviar in the subway, at train stations, warehouses, streets, in other deserted places - the official manufacturer always has a point of sale, designed in accordance with all the rules.
  

  
  

  Children under 3 years of age are not recommended to give black caviar due to the still unformed gastrointestinal tract. Allergic reactions are also possible - before including black caviar in the baby's diet, you should consult with a pediatrician. However, after three years and in the absence of allergic reactions, black caviar will be very useful for the child as a source of numerous nutrients.

  
  

  The difference can be explained in one word "security", both in the legal and in the consumer sense of the word.

  First of all, we draw your attention to the fact that since 2013 Russia introduced criminal liability not only for the smuggling of sturgeon and black caviar, but also for the purchase of poached caviar.

  Poacher's caviar is caviar obtained from wild fish caught illegally. In order to catch fish and not be caught themselves, poachers often act like this: they put nets in the river and check them every few days. Thus, often a fish suffocated in gear can lie in the water. for a long time, decomposition processes begin in it, which, of course, affects both the taste of caviar and its safety for health.

  Legal caviar is taken only from live fish and is immediately processed. A cool temperature is maintained in the caviar shop - this is a strict technological requirement. Specialists working with caviar do not take off their masks and gloves at all stages of caviar processing, thus absolutely eliminating the contact of any bacteria with the product. Only sterile inventory, equipment and containers are used, and only specially prepared, clean filtered water without pathogenic microorganisms is used for washing raw caviar and inventory.

  Poacher's caviar is literally done "on the knee", hastily, with gross violations of sanitary standards. It is processed in any weather - accordingly, in the heat, pathogenic bacteria will multiply in the caviar. Inventory and containers are washed with water from the nearest reservoir (we all know about the ecological state of reservoirs in our country, where industrial and household waste etc.). In the manufacture of caviar, poachers add preservatives and additives that are prohibited for use, which are designed to drown out the unpleasant taste and smell of an already spoiled product.

  Legal caviar is produced in compliance with all technological and sanitary conditions, poaching caviar - with their grossest violation. Legal caviar is obtained from live fish, poaching - more often from the deceased. The official manufacturer uses safe permitted preservatives, the poacher - hazardous to human health, not used in the food industry.

  Poachers incur minimal costs, do not pay taxes and do not give any guarantees. Of course, their product is cheaper. But not enough to risk your health for a delicacy of dubious quality. We encourage everyone to consume responsibly and resist poaching.

  By purchasing caviar from an official manufacturer, the consumer receives a real, tasty, healthy, environmentally friendly and safe product, produced in compliance with all necessary standards and legally allowed for sale.

  
  

  Caviar is a sexual product of female fish, i.e. fry emerge from the eggs. Caviar contains all the necessary trace elements for the emergence of a new life. That is why any fish caviar is considered useful.

  If we talk exclusively about the color of caviar, and what is meant by the phrase "black caviar", then the answers will be slightly different. After all, what we mean by black caviar as an expensive product, or as some say - by real black caviar, does not always have black grain. So, valuable black caviar in sturgeon fish: beluga, sturgeon, sturgeon sturgeon. Moreover, their caviar has various shades, from light gray to dark brown and black. Also, caviar of thorn and paddlefish is also referred to as black caviar.

  Bowfin and halibut caviar is black in color, it also has useful properties, but is inferior in taste to sturgeon caviar.

  Red caviar is called caviar obtained from salmon fish (pink salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon, coho salmon, trout).

In a shabby house somewhere outside of Astrakhan, there is a small iron stove: dozens of sturgeon carcasses, taken from poachers, are smoldering in it. Around - several witnesses with downcast faces from among the employees law enforcement. The smell is incredible. This is how the golden age of sturgeon poaching in Russia is dying out: the fish, exterminated by illegal production, the development of large-scale industry, and environmental miscalculations, is turning from wild into aquaculture. Legitimate businesses are on the scene.

For at least ten years, its owners have been raising herds of fish, and now they are receiving dividends: the production of black caviar has more than doubled over the past five years. Who are these new masters of the industry, what laws do they work under and how profitable are they engaged in business?

Night, border guards are chasing us, shooting. The owner of the boat in a bulletproof vest. And we have a narrow boat, plastic, like a sports boat - do you watch the races? It squeezes out two thousand two hundred horsepower, snuggle up to the engine and fly! - a former poacher, and now an ordinary Astrakhan taxi driver loves speed and now, pressing on the gas of his passenger car, deftly maneuvers between other cars on the road. - The owner yells: "Jump!", And I: "I'd rather do it!" So we went twice, and then I say: no, I'm tying it up, my daughter is growing up. And how many cases there were: shot, drowned, left. Pirates, Dagestanis-Magestanis. Who to blame, who will find you in the sea?

They say that in Astrakhan every second person is a poacher. They probably exaggerate about the city, but perhaps not about the region: the fishing districts of Ikryaninsky, Limansky, Volodarsky and Kamyzyaksky, where almost half of the population of the region lives, stand in the lower reaches of the Volga: you left the house, put the net - here's your catch. However, you should not count on sturgeons. This is about 20 years ago, during spawning on the Volga, one could see the carcasses of sharp-nosed fish with ripped open bellies, floating with the flow. The fishermen took out only caviar, they did not bother with meat. Now there are almost no fish.

According to the latest data from the Federal Agency for Fisheries (for 2013), less than 10 million sturgeons were “fat” in the Russian waters of the Caspian Sea - fish “walk” in the sea, and spawn in the river - less than 10 million sturgeon: 7.4 million Russian sturgeon, 1.1 million stellate sturgeon and 1.2 million beluga. Previously, they counted in thousands of tons: in the late 70s, there were 27,400 tons of fish.

“The poachers themselves say that there are no fish,” Mikhail Shevyakov, deputy head of the department for combating economic crimes of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Astrakhan region, confirms. - In March, we detained over a ton of sturgeons - you can’t look at the fish without tears: thirty centimeters, these are children. Previously, they didn’t take such people, now they choose the leftovers.” Old-timers of the police still remember sturgeon from the 90s under two tons, and caviar, which they tried to transport by KAMAZ trucks.

The industrial catch of beluga was banned in 2000, Russian sturgeon and stellate sturgeon - in 2005. The talkative taxi driver, who claims to have been nicknamed "The Elusive" during his poaching days, fished in the Caspian Sea until 2010. And in 2014, he also gave up river fishing: “I caught the last sturgeon weighing 6 kg in my village. Then I decided to try myself “on dry” - anything, but not a fish, ”explains the reckless driver.

Caviar instead of a hotel

In the early 2000s, a kilogram of Caspian sturgeon caviar could be bought in the markets of Astrakhan for 1600 rubles, for 1 kg of fish they asked for 130 rubles. “The cost of our fish, when we started, was 230 rubles per kg,” recalls Igor Bukatov, co-owner of the Astrakhan company Aquatrade, which is now one of the three leaders in the production of caviar in the region and the top five in the country (about 2 tons of caviar per year). ).

But the transition of sturgeon to the category of exclusive dishes was obvious: there were fewer caviar, fishing was prohibited. Captive sturgeon farming companies appeared in Russia, most of them mastered the method of "milking" fish - obtaining caviar "for live" (another option that Aquatrade also uses is to slaughter caviar fish).

“When we invested the first money in this business, we thought that in three years we would already be driving a Porsche 911,” Bukatov smiles. He never bought a Porsche, he admits. I came to the restaurant to meet with a journalist in a Toyota Prado. Bukatov estimates the profitability of the Aquatrade business for 2015 at the level of 20%, and, as if jokingly, laments: “It would be better if we bought a hotel!”.

Black and white

There are several dozens of black caviar producers in Russia, less than ten large ones. According to the Federal Agency for Fishery, a little more than 43 tons of caviar were produced last year, of which 6.7 tons were for export. In 2006, when fishing was first banned in the Caspian Sea, according to the estimates of a representative of the Traffic program, which studies the trade in bioresources in Russia, there were over 500 tons of poached black caviar on the market.

“In the 2000s, there was a golden time,” the ex-poacher-taxi driver confidentially reports: I had 30,000 rubles in my pocket, as now 100 rubles. I went to visit my mother, I took the most expensive sweets. And then why - mom constantly saves, buys caramels. Taxi driver earnings "Elusive" are low, but life is calmer. This is followed by new wife“from land”: on the mirror in the passenger compartment of the car, pink lipstick is displayed: “Married!”. "Jealous," he chuckles.

The volume of today's black market is a mystery: the police don't count, but CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) wildlife) estimates it at 200 tons. However, market participants claim that the figure is much lower: about 25% of total sales. Andrey Zhikharev, consultant of the agro-industrial complex practice of the NEO Center Consulting Group, agrees with them.

The price of black caviar in retail is growing along with the dollar, now it is 30,000-70,000 rubles per kilogram, depending on the extraction method: “downhole” costs more, “dairy” less. The most expensive is beluga caviar - 90,000-150,000 rubles / kg, and sturgeon is 30% cheaper than sturgeon.

"Inexpensive idea"

The founder of Aquatrade Fish Breeding Company LLC, Alexey Sokolov from Astrakhan, sold this business two years after the start. A native of the Schlumberger oilfield services company, Sokolov registered a company in 2002 with five partners. A year later, on the Bushma River near the village of the same name in the Astrakhan region, he built six fish tanks with a total area of ​​150 square meters. m. Having bought the first 500 kg of fry, Sokolov realized that the money had run out, and the expenses had just begun, he began to look for buyers for the asset and remembered his friend Igor Bukatov.

Bukatov and his business partner Anton Fedin only rested in Astrakhan in the 2000s: they then earned money by selling coking coal from Yakutia and Kuzbass, among their clients were the Federal Border Service and the Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works (NLMK). The price of a promising business for the production of sturgeon and black caviar seemed low to them.

The first investments were at the level of several million rubles. “In fact, we bought an idea for cheap, for which the creators did not have enough money, thinking that it would pay off in three years,” says Fedin. At the end of 2003, he and his partner became the owners of about 8% of the shares of Aquatrade for two, by the middle of 2005, each of them brought their share to 39.2%. Now Bukatov and Fedin each have 47.4%, another 5.1% belongs to their friend Elena Pereverzeva.

Sturgeons by Vladimir Lisin

The real price of the "inexpensive idea" was not immediately realized by the new owners of Aquatrade. “What are there four cages - it's like an aquarium in the country! But this aquarium began to eat a lot of money: we have not sold anything yet, but we have already transferred 350-400,000 rubles a month to the salary, ”recalls Anton Fedin. Now the average salaries of fisheries specialists in the Astrakhan region are 12,000-15,000 per month, the minimum is from 6,000.

The next revelation for the owners of Aquatrade was the need to scale up production. In 2003, the farm had 2 tons of fish. But according to the results of the calculations, Fedin recalls, it turned out that for a normal business it is necessary to produce 100-150 tons, “then we will start earning at least something.”

Where to get so many sturgeons? “The broodstock of Vladimir Lisin helped,” says Igor Bukatov. According to him, in 2003-2004, NLMK sold non-core assets, including three sturgeon farms. “The sturgeons were twenty kilograms each, they were good,” recalls Bukatov. - They were transported to some cardboard factory, the fish were sitting in cages 2 by 2 m, sad, scary to look at. We bought 21 fish per 400 kilograms, they became the basis of our herd.” The cost of live sturgeon females now depends on their species and age - from 10,000 rubles per kilogram.

The NLMK fish breeding shop was indeed considered one of the largest industrial farms - by the way, the plant was a leader among metallurgists in the production of fish. NLMK's 2003 annual report mentions ZAO Stalkonverst, which is engaged in fish breeding, processing and sale - NLMK had 36.8% there. In the documents for 2004, the company is no longer in the list of affiliates.

The billionaire, who, without knowing it, took part in the fate of the Astrakhan company, recently received a present from her: “Lisin came to the Astrakhan region to hunt, and we found out about this and gave him a can of caviar,” says Igor Bukatov.

Fish food

The owners of sturgeon farms do not look like magnates at all. Petr Sabanchuk, deputy general director and co-owner of the Raskat fish trading company (in the top seven in terms of production in the Russian Federation), looks more like an ordinary hard worker than a businessman: a large man in his 60s driving a Renault Logan with an impressive crack on the windshield. He speaks confidently and almost lovingly about the intricacies of fish production:

“The Beluga matures like a girl: she doesn’t show herself until she is 16, and then you give her away in marriage.”

The beluga is really ready for spawning at the age of 15-18. The sturgeon begins to produce caviar only at the age of seven or eight, the sterlet at the age of 4-6. Up to three years, even the sex of the fish is unclear, which is determined very humanly: on ultrasound.

“After five years after the launch, Aquatrade made its first correct step in business,” Anton Fedin argues self-critically, “stopped selling all the fish in a row, starting to separate males from females.” By that time, the 170-ton sturgeon herd had already been divided into caviar and marketable - in the latter there were only male sturgeons for meat.

Until 2013, Aquatrade was the leader in the sale of sturgeon meat in the South of Russia, says Sergey Bessonov, commercial director of the company: the company sold 40-50 tons per year (now 20-30 tons per year). All the money was literally eaten up by the farm: feeding sturgeons is an expensive pleasure.

Fry are generally fed like children: every two hours. For a kilogram of fry - a kilogram of feed, which is bought in Europe. “If you need to grow 1 kg of fry, you need to spend 400 rubles for food. 50% of this fry will die in the process, but it will gobble up the food. That is, 1 kg of fish already costs 800 rubles,” Igor Bukatov makes a simple calculation. He sold three apartments in Moscow to feed Aquatrade's growing herd. Now this herd reaches 260 tons and eats feed for 60 million rubles a year.

Feed for adults is already cheaper - "Raskat", for example, buys them for 95 rubles per 1 kg. It is believed that during the season (in summer) a six-year-old sturgeon gains 6-8 kg, says Olga Sabanchuk, general director of Raskat. For 1 kg of "weight gain" you need 3 kg of feed, which means that the feeding season of such one fish costs 1700-2500 rubles. 1 kg of sturgeon in the store can be bought for 700-850 rubles.

“It was a great happiness for us that you need to feed the fish only in the warm season: in winter, sturgeons lie on the bottom and do not need food,” says Anton Fedin. True, the owners of Aquatrade did not immediately find out. The workers argued that in winter for feeding, holes had to be dug in the cages, says Fedin. “Maybe it was more convenient for them to catch fish with us - we realized this later. But at some point, I started experimenting in my dacha: it was minus 20 outside, they dug a hole, after 15 minutes there was such a layer of ice. And I began to think: “Why the hell does Aquatrade allocate money for holes?”

According to Dmitry Lukashov, an analyst at IFD Solid, the cost of black caviar is about $350-400 per kg. Now, 14 years after the start of the business, 80% of Aquatrade's profits are spent on salaries, infrastructure support, consumables and feed, says Bukatov. Sergei Bessonov claims that the first revenue in this business comes after 10 years, investments, taking into account the cost of money over time, pay off after 12-15 years. Margins of 100% start with 20 years of caviar herd activity, he expects.

“Don’t even try to start this business with less than 100-150 million rubles,” warns Bukatov. But the owner of the Russian Caviar Lux caviar distributor, Viktor Kappes, who has been in the caviar business for about 30 years, estimates investments in cage farming for a hundred-ton herd of sturgeon at $1 million, but stipulates: “It all depends on the volume: someone breeds sturgeon in a barrel ".

"Do it beautifully!"

The initial investments of poachers are of a completely different order: “at a minimum: tackle - 50 pieces, a boat is about 50,000 rubles, a “thirty” motor (30 hp outboard motor, - Forbes) - it costs 170,000-200,000 rubles ., - lists the ex-poacher Elusive.

This calculation is for singles: you won’t catch a lot of fish, but if you get caught by law enforcement officers, you won’t sit down for a long time. The qualification of crimes does not depend on the damage and volume, but on the method of commission: if you break the law alone, the punishment will be less severe than if in a group of people. “You can eat the caught fish, sell the caviar in the village without risking - the hucksters buy 20,000 rubles each. per kg, - explains the interlocutor. - From a sturgeon, at least 3-4 kg of caviar - here's 80,000 rubles for you.

Earnings are higher if you poach "for the owner" - a person with more serious equipment and connections - and constantly work in the Caspian. You can’t just get into the sea, says a law enforcement officer who participated in catching poachers: you need to pay for entry and exit, “like in our hospitals: give for the operation and give the anesthesiologist so that he can survive the anesthesia.” There are usually three people on the boat: the driver and two fishermen. They work for a percentage. A successful exit is, for example, three large beluga- 50-70 kg of caviar. Such caviar costs on the black market from 30,000 rubles per kg. Then, "on the nose" the fishermen receive from the owner 300-400,000 rubles each.

The number of detected cases of poaching in the last five years in Astrakhan has not changed - about a thousand a year. In 2015, 76 major crimes were solved, which is a third of all Russia, says Colonel Mikhail Shevyakov.

How are poachers caught? “If you go to the Caspian on a boat, there will, of course, be canoes and people in them with machine guns, but until you get to them, there will be no machine guns, no cartridges, no fish in the boat, and even the mucus will be washed away,” Shevyakov assures . They go out to sea to poachers at night, on a tip, knowing in advance where they will bring the caught fish to sell. A couple of times a season, shooting also happens during the chase, more often they shoot from boats that arrived from neighboring Dagestan, says Artem Sladkov, press officer of the Internal Affairs Directorate for the Astrakhan Region: “We shoot at the boat, at the motor. But last year we had to shoot at a man - he fired at us with a Kalashnikov. Then he threw him into the water and claimed that there was no shooting. True, they seized his phone, where there was a video of the chase and shooting with comments behind the scenes: “Come on, Vasya, do the cops beautifully!”.

Caviar and sturgeon, which nevertheless got from poachers' boats to the black market, are stored in refrigerators in garages, summer cottages and abandoned industrial bases. Although there are more exotic places: caviar was buried in the garden and tomatoes were planted on top, recalls Mikhail Shevyakov. He tells a terrible thing about the methods of poaching salting: supposedly, the caviar is dried in the sun on cartons, and then poured with water to swell.

An illegal delicacy goes for sale under the skin of a car, in the walls of a truck body, in hiding places with familiar train conductors.

“No one carries wagons: firstly, there are no such volumes in nature, and secondly, caviar is not butter, not everyone can afford it,” explains Shevyakov.

Delicatessen wholesale and retail

1% of the population of Russia can afford to eat caviar regularly, calculated in 2012 by inFOLIO Research Group. Holidays - 4%. Who are these people?

caviar

For the last two years, the export of black caviar from Russia has been at the level of 6.7 tons, they say in the Federal Agency for Fisheries. In 2001, when fishing for Russian sturgeon and seryuga was still allowed in the Caspian Sea, 41 tons went abroad. It is profitable to supply abroad: the price for 1 kg of caviar varies from $1,000 to €2,000. However, it is not easy: we have no agreement with Europe in the field of product standardization, so this market is closed for Russian aquaculture caviar. The main buyers of Russian caviar are the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Singapore, China, the USA and Japan, there are deliveries to Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Moscow eats the most caviar. The capital and the region account for 70% of sales, says Alexander Ganusov, general director of the Russian Sturgeon trading house (products of the Yaroslavsky fish hatchery, No. 2 in terms of production in Russia - 10 tons, according to the company). Regions eat up the remaining 30%.

The largest producer of black caviar in Russia, Diana (supplier of Russian Caviar House), lists such companies as Gazprom, Rosneft, and Sberbank among its clients. When employees hear about this, they get scared: “Well, I don’t know, we don’t eat anything like that, we don’t see caviar in the canteen.” In response to a request from Forbes, a representative of Sberbank replied that "the bank is not a corporate customer of black caviar," while representatives of Rosneft and Gazprom declined to comment.

Judging by the public procurement website, almost no one eats black caviar in state-owned companies.

Forbes managed to find a tender for the purchase of caviar only by Gazprom's subsidiary, Gazprom Torgservis LLC. According to the minutes of the request for proposals, published on August 3, 2015, the lot for the supply of caviar produced by Russian Caviar House LLC in the amount of 2.3 million rubles was predictably won by Russian Caviar House.

“Retail clients are very closed,” Bessonov from Aquatrade shakes his head. “Sometimes they even make a purchase not for themselves.”

Caviar for the President

“No one who actually supplies caviar to the Kremlin will say this,” Igor Bukatov from Aquatrade assures. Ganusov from Russian Sturgeon admits that there are interesting clients in the Kremlin, but he simply does not know “how to approach this.” “Although the “children of Lieutenant Schmidt” come regularly, show off their administrative resources, offer to introduce them. However, none of these proposals has been successful,” he says. “Knowing our officials, I will assume that they are used to receiving caviar as a gift,” another supplier smiles.

Almost all producers with whom we managed to talk tried to start deliveries of caviar to the authorities. Claims that it happened, only one company - "Russian Caviar House" entrepreneur Alexander Novikov. On the company's website, visitors are greeted with the slogan: "Black caviar from the supplier of the Kremlin." “We are suppliers to the State Duma, to the Federation Council. We have very serious customers, (...) they did not order less,” TASS quoted Saodat Sultanova, deputy general director of the company, in early May.

On February 19, 2015, Novikov’s Russian Caviar House and the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Kremlevsky Food Plant” actually concluded a supply contract (Forbes found information about this posted on the public procurement website). According to the documents, Novikov's company was supposed to supply 15 cans of black granular sturgeon caviar "Classic" for a total of 103,380 rubles (2,316 rubles for a 50-gram caviar and 4,576 rubles for 100 g - quite market prices). The agreement was valid until the end of last year. No other agreements were found.

Novikov himself did not find time to answer questions about the “Kremlin” and “State Duma” buyers in three weeks. The Kremlin Trade House did not respond to a request from Forbes. Vladimir Polishchuk, deputy general director of the Kremlevsky food plant, also left Forbes questions sent to him via Linkedin unanswered.

Hunting for a client

“Black caviar is still considered an elite product, but these are prejudices Russian man, - says Alexander Ganusov. “The price of 4,000 rubles per 100 grams is comparable to the price of a bottle of good whiskey, and with these hundred grams you can treat 15 people, and if you make canapes, even more.”

Caviar really goes to the masses: according to the observations of the senior administrator of the outlet " gold fish» Danilovsky market Vladimir Zhupinsky, one of the main motives for buying a delicacy from Muscovites is sports nutrition: caviar contains a lot of easily digestible fats and proteins with high biological value. The second is celebrations like the New Year, an anniversary or a wedding. “Last year in December we sold about 100 kg of black caviar, while in summer it sells about 10-15 kg per month,” he says. According to him, caviar is also in demand among foreigners, for whom it is one of the symbols of Russian gastronomy and a good souvenir: about 20% of them are among buyers.

60% of products from Russian Sturgeon are sold in ten metropolitan retail chains. They take caviar despite the mark-ups: the consumer pays a retail margin (up to 50% of the cost of the goods), and the supplier pays the "input" - a fixed amount for each position (in the case of caviar, these are the volumes of cans) and "bonus money" - 10- 15% of the delivery price, says Ganusov. About 15% of deliveries to retail chains go to recycling, because in case of customer complaints about quality, stores simply return the goods to suppliers. “At the same time, I can complain that my product is on display at the wrong temperature, but the category manager will simply answer: “It’s more convenient for us,” says Ganusov. According to him, the cost of supplies is recouped only in the third year of operation.

The next largest wholesalers (wholesale starts from 5 kg) are restaurants and resellers, each accounting for 15% of sales, says Ganusov. “I would not say that the public of restaurants especially emphasizes caviar in the menu, but there are connoisseurs, especially among foreigners, for whom this is an absolutely obvious pair for sparkling,” notes the well-known restaurateur Nikolai Bakunov. “It shows wealth and upbringing.” The menu of his restaurants includes, for example, dishes with caviar such as "Guinea Fowl Nanny", "Hake with Eggplant and Black Caviar", "Sturgeon with Kaymak with Black Caviar".

Restaurants are capricious customers: chefs have different tastes, but the market is moving towards competing not on products, but on service, Maxim Mikhailets, managing partner of the Caspian Gold brand, assures. The Rzhev Sturgeon Complex, which represents the brand, slaughters fish and salts caviar according to customer orders, varying the percentage of salt, ripening time and preservative. “There is a version of aged caviar - it is stored in a special jar for six months, slightly oxidized - this is what the French like, for example,” says Mikhailets. “And the Russian consumer prefers fresh.” “Good caviar has a fresh, oily taste, with a distinct note of pure salty sea water,” restaurateur Bakunov describes the coveted product.

“And back in 2012, when I opened my company, you could take a buyer with your bare hands, there were no sellers on the market,” nostalgic Viktor Kappes from Russian Caviar Lux. Now you can't go to a client with bare hands. Sellers divide buyers into those who understand the product and those who don’t: the latter are important for the low price, and the picky one is for the approach, says Bessonov: “They call from year to year at the same time and say:“ I need 5 kg of caviar for the holiday at 2 o'clock in the morning at such and such an address. And try not to bring it. This is our customer."

Has the crisis affected the caviar market? "Very," admits the category manager of the "Fish and Seafood" direction in Moscow's La maree Sergey Skripnik: he returned to the restaurant due to the fall in sales of his reseller company "Caviar Empire" employee. “At the peak of sales, in November-December 2013, we sold 400 kg of caviar, and exactly one year later, ten times less,” he explains. Now, according to Skripnik, his company's sales are at the level of 15-20 kg per month.

However, there are those who do not save on caviar. Bukatov from Aquatrade spoke about a client who recently ordered sturgeon in Lipetsk with delivery to the river bank: family celebration, wanted to make five-minute caviar. The purchase cost 123,000 rubles. But the children at the festival felt sorry for the fish and had to pardon it. After a photo as a memento, the sturgeon bred in captivity was released into the river - let it swim. Sturgeon is now a pleasure, although expensive, but legal. You can buy more.

I estimated the costs of caviar production, calculated the cost of its sale, and it turned out to be much cheaper than in stores, - says Andrey Popov. - And took up this business. Moreover, there is a demand for black caviar.

Of course, production did not start from scratch. By this time, there was already a small, about a ton, breeding herd, it included Siberian sturgeon and sterlet. They began to "milk" the sterlet. But you need to be able to get caviar.

It's only in TV reports that everything is simple - they pressed a fish on the stomach and got a liter of caviar. In fact, everything is quite complicated, - says Nina Popova, Andrei's mother. She has decades of fish farming experience.

To establish the process of obtaining a delicacy, a world-famous specialist in this field, Professor Sergei Pillow from St. Petersburg, came to Dobryanka last year. He spent several days at the Popovs' fish farm. Taught me how to do things right. But what exactly, the farmers do not say. This is their know-how and generally a production secret.

Among sturgeons, as well as sterlets, there are albinos. Photo: Konstantin Bakharev

Why fish need a diet

However, Andrey agreed to tell a few details about getting the delicacy.

First, we grow the so-called repair group from fry, it takes 4-5 years, - says the fish farmer. - A sterlet living on a farm can spawn at this age. In autumn, we examine the females for the presence and maturity of eggs.

Then those with more mature caviar are transferred to a separate pool. The water is cold there, and the fish are not fed. At all. This is so that the females do not get fat and the caviar ripens together, "fits", as the fish farmers say.

At the end of winter, after examining the fish, it is again transferred to the pool, but with warm water. As the temperature rises, the females "understand" that the time has come to part with the eggs.

And with the help of that same secret method, sterlet spawn and prepare a delicacy. Caviar, by the way, can be obtained no more than once every two years. This year last time females were "milked" at the end of March. We got about eighty kilograms.

White black caviar

Fish in the Popov farm is kept separately. The breeding herd is located in a separate building, in special pools. On the street, in the cages, the fish is marketable, but here, under the roof and locks, the most valuable part of the economy.

Separately female sterlet. According to the degree of maturity of the eggs, they are seated. Among the black identical fish, a bright white spot suddenly appears. This is an albino sterlet. She has white caviar. That is, it is black in taste, and white in color. Such a product costs about 50 thousand dollars per kilogram.

And in the neighboring pool, an orange sterlet generally swims.

This is a chromist, says Andrey. - Such a fish, probably, is one in a million. Already received caviar from her. It is bright black, with a shimmer.

There is also a pool with sturgeons nearby. Hefty males reluctantly flounder in warm water. Among them are two albinos.

How much to hang in tons

Of course, the sale of caviar is a promising direction, - says Andrey. - But investments and a lot of work are necessary. What we are doing.

Last year, the Popovs' farmers received about forty kilograms of marketable, that is, black caviar ready for sale. But this was not enough.

People are ready to buy, call us, - says Nina Popova. - But because of one can, who will go to Dobryanka? And retail chains do not take a small amount. They ask for at least half a ton of caviar per year. And for this it is necessary to have a breeding herd of at least ten tons. And next year we plan to bring it up to only one and a half tons. So there is room for improvement.

There was no help from the authorities at first. Only recently has it finally been possible to obtain a subsidy of ten million rubles from the regional government. With this money, farmers have equipped, although not yet completely, their fisheries. They repaired the unfinished building on the banks of the Kama, which had been abandoned during the Soviet era, installed electricity, water, and heating. While caviar is not the main product of the Popov farmers, the main profit comes from the sale of marketable fish - sturgeon and trout. But if the plan comes true, then sterlet caviar will become much more accessible for Perm residents, and not only for them.

3.5 thousand rubles costs 100 grams of sterlet caviar from the Popovs.

Symbols and meanings

swept

Requiem for the main national delicacy

Where Kalya is, there I am, - he taught me correct stress the chef of the Danilov Monastery, Oleg Olkhov, spooning black caviar into a saucepan boiling with sturgeon tesh. - Here are some more laurels, a little saffron infusion, three minutes and the soup is ready.

I am absent-mindedly examining a quarter-kilogram transparent box from which black caviar has just been extracted.

A parishioner from China brought it as a gift, - Oleg explained. - There it costs 150 rubles for our money. So I decided to treat the brethren with a soup from the times of Ignatius Bryanchaninov. And remember, the main thing in the calla is not caviar, but cucumber pickle.

To tell the truth, black caviar remains a mystery to me. There is absolutely no gastronomic idea in it, not the slightest culinary idea, no culinary tradition, not even an elegant look. Dull black. For me, it is like a black square by Malevich: expensive and incomprehensible.

And China has never been associated with quality food. And for me personally, some Chinese traditions Catering even like it very much. For example, when the one who is given the only menu on the table pays. As a foreigner, I have never been served...

The Chinese are not after glory. Well, if you like Nike, you will have Nike, if you like the living room of Alf Montecarlo, please. The Chinese are after money.

Their gastronomic traditions are more abrupt than French ones, but they do not impose them on anyone. If you like black caviar, you are ready to pay for it - you will have black caviar. "The biggest hurdle for us remains the lack of confidence in the safety of Chinese products," said Lily Liu, marketing manager at Hangzhou Qiandaohu Xunlong Sci-tech Co.

Most consumers still consider Chinese brands to be cheap imitations, so the location of the manufacturer is rarely announced. The indisputable world authority on the black caviar market, the president of the French company Petrossian, Alexander Petrosyan, explained why they did not mention the Chinese origin of caviar: “It was very difficult to sell caviar for the first three years. It was difficult to convince people that this is not a cheap product. There is also cheap Chinese caviar but Caluga Queen is one of the best on the market." Now Kaluga Queen supplies black caviar to branded stores on all continents. Chinese black caviar has absorbed all the facets of luxury, all shades of vanity, all the depth of ambition inherent in a suddenly rich and mad rabble ...

IN Soviet times about 30,000 (thousand!) tons of sturgeons were caught in the lower reaches of the Volga and in the Caspian Sea and 2,500 (thousand!) tons of natural black caviar of all conceivable and inconceivable organoleptic shades, from silver-brown-gray to anthracite, were supplied to the world market. Today, approximately the same volumes are in China, only not caught, but farmed sturgeons. A third of the free Chinese black caviar comes to us in Russia, where now a total of 60 sturgeon farms produce only 40-45 tons a year, I can’t even say “black gold”.

Alexander Savelyev, head Information agency fisheries

What and how much?

Maybe a joke in the riddle? Intrigue in the fossil beluga, the same age as dinosaurs from Cretaceous? Just think, lives up to a hundred years. One of these was caught near Biryuchaya Spit in 1924, weighing 1224 kg, from which 246 kg of caviar were taken.

There is no Beluga anywhere in the world, except for the Caspian Sea. She spawns the most expensive black caviar in the world. With my own eyes I saw a jar of 24 carat gold worth 25,000 (thousand!) US dollars. ALMAS. Iranian caviar. Since 1950. True, not black, but pale amber. From an albino beluga.

Black caviar is a unique delicacy

“Black caviar, red caviar, overseas caviar, eggplant!” - who does not remember this funny episode of the royal meal from the comedy "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession"? It is worth noting that such a menu during the reign of Ivan the Terrible was hardly possible. Eggplant became known in our country only in the 17th century, and red caviar was not previously considered a delicacy and appeared on the tables of royal persons only under the last emperor Nicholas II.

A bit of history

As for black caviar, it really was a favorite snack of Russian tsars. 90% of the world's production of this valuable product comes from the Caspian Sea, and since Ivan the Terrible captured Astrakhan in the middle of the 16th century, regular supplies of sturgeon and caviar began to be delivered to the royal table.

However, even 100 years ago, not only kings and representatives of the nobility could afford black caviar. It was sold in almost every tavern and was available even to ordinary people. And today, all over the world, this product is considered a symbol of luxury and is one of the most expensive and exquisite delicacies.

Production and mining

Sturgeon fish are the oldest representatives of the fauna on our planet. Surprisingly, they have been living on Earth since the time of the dinosaurs! People have hunted sturgeons since ancient times, as evidenced by numerous historical finds.

An interesting fact: in nature, fish of this family are considered long-lived. Under natural conditions, stellate sturgeon lives up to 30 years, sturgeon - longer than 50 years, and some species of sturgeon and beluga can swim for about 100 years.

These fish are very prolific: often the mass of eggs in large females is almost a quarter of the total body weight, and the number of eggs is hundreds of thousands. Nevertheless, the number of these valuable commercial fish is inexorably declining, and the human factor is to blame. The construction of hydroelectric power plants that cut off the path to spawning grounds and the current rate of sturgeon catching threaten their complete destruction.

Most of the fish in this family are anadromous. This means that they live in sea ​​water or freshwater lakes, and for spawning they rise up the rivers, often overcoming considerable distances.

When the fish goes from the reservoir along the river, it becomes an easy prey for poachers. Under such conditions, sexually mature individuals have practically no chance of leaving offspring, and their populations in nature are catastrophically reduced.

In the Caspian Sea, the number of sturgeons has decreased by almost 40 times over the past decade and a half. Sterlet, beluga and sturgeon today in natural conditions are less and less common. In the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, once very rich in this fish, it is almost gone.

To try to preserve the population, Russia stopped commercial fishing in 2002, and in 2007 a ban was introduced on the sale of black caviar and sturgeon in the markets. Since 2012, by a joint decision of the Caspian countries, commercial fishing has been banned for a period of 5 years.

Today, only caviar is allowed for sale, obtained in special farms where fish of the sturgeon family are bred. Initially, fry are released into man-made reservoirs with the prospect that in the future the population should switch to independent reproduction of livestock.

For this, everything is created the necessary conditions: several stages of cleaning artesian water, saturating it with oxygen and quality control, maintaining a comfortable temperature regime and even creating an artificial winter, which this fish needs for spawning.

In nature, sturgeons mature very slowly. Sturgeon fry become mature individuals capable of spawning only after 12-15 years, and beluga fry only after 15-20 years. In order to successfully obtain this product in aquaculture, fish farmers have bred a hybrid of beluga and sterlet, which was called bester. It managed to combine the rapid growth of the beluga with the early maturation of the sterlet. Instances of this hybrid reach maturity as early as 5-9 years.

On experimental fish farms, only females are reared until the age of maturation. Young males who have reached a certain weight are sent to store shelves. In order to determine the sex of the fish, when they reach the age of two, an ultrasound scan of each individual is performed.

This delicacy is obtained in two ways. The first is the traditional "bottom-hole" method, in which the caught fish is slaughtered to extract the caviar. This method was used both in the industrial capture of wild sturgeons and in their breeding in some fish farms.

The second method is now increasingly used on industrial farms. Since sturgeons can produce caviar every two years for at least a dozen years, it makes sense to save the life of females in order to receive this product from them several times. To do this, they are "milked", decanting caviar. Such a gentle method of obtaining is called artificial spawning.

Types of black caviar

In fish farms, the degree of readiness of females for spawning is also controlled. For this, eggs are selected with a special probe. Experts distinguish 6 stages of caviar maturity, on which its quality depends. And it is also affected by the presence or absence of yastyk during salting.

Yastyk is a thin, but strong enough film. It is from it that the bag-shell is formed, in which the eggs are located. Depending on the quality, which is also affected by the method of processing caviar, it is divided into granular, pressed and oval:

• grainy caviar is freed from yastyk even before salting and is considered a product of the highest quality. It is well ripened, crumbly, with a small salt content. All eggs have the same shade, as well as the same size, which is achieved using a special sieve.
• Pressed caviar salted directly in the ovaries, but no later than a day later it is dried a little and freed from films. The upper part of the eggs dries up, and those inside remain raw. Then they are pressed, resulting in a product of high density and high quality. A successful combination of dried and raw eggs gives pressed caviar a unique, rich taste.
• Yastik caviar also salted in ovaries. But, unlike the press, it goes on sale in an uncleaned form. This is a product of lower quality, from poorly ripened eggs. Since they cannot be separated from the ovaries, this caviar has an unpresentable appearance and is cheaper than pressed and grained caviar. Although in terms of taste, ovary caviar practically does not differ from expensive types, it is often more fatty and salty.

Black caviar is a very nutritious and healthy delicacy. Its unique balanced composition is rich in proteins, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids and trace elements, among which there is iodine, potassium, sodium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus. The use of this product has a positive effect on the immune system and has a general strengthening effect on the body.

What color is black caviar?

Beluga, stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, sterlet, kaluga, spike - all these fish of the sturgeon family produce black caviar, which differ from each other not only in taste, but also in the shade of eggs. On sale, beluga, stellate sturgeon and sturgeon are most often found:

• Beluga caviar is the most valuable and largest, with eggs up to 2.5 mm in diameter. It tends to quickly absorb foreign strong odors and is usually available in jars with blue lids.
• Sturgeon caviar It has a fishy smell and a characteristic taste with the aroma of algae. Its eggs have a diameter of 1-1.5 mm and a brownish tint. Sturgeon caviar is usually produced in jars with yellow lids.
• Stellate sturgeon caviar has a black or dark gray color, and its eggs are smaller and more elastic. It has a high protein content, high calorie content, as well as a delicate and pleasant taste. Packed in jars with red lids.

Interesting fact: The lighter the color of black caviar, the higher its cost. From young sturgeons that have not yet reached the age of 20, caviar of a rich black color is obtained. An individual at the age of 45 spawns gray color. And if the female is over 85 years old, then she produces elite light-colored caviar, shimmering with gold. It is believed that the older the fish, the more tender the caviar.

Sturgeons can also spawn completely white color. Such white "black" caviar is obtained from albino fish, which are extremely rare in natural habitats. The cost of this exclusive product on the world market of delicacies exceeds 25 thousand dollars per kilogram.

Black caviar: natural or artificial?

identify fake

Often in fish stores you can see jars of black caviar at an affordable price. Outwardly, this product cannot be distinguished from natural, however, having assessed its taste, one can easily understand why its cost is several orders of magnitude lower. So, what do trade enterprises offer as an inexpensive substitute for an elite delicacy:

• Amiya caviar. Its second name is silt fish. This relic species, which survived its heyday in mesozoic era lives in the east North America and is considered a "living fossil". And although the meat of this fish is tough and tasteless, its caviar looks very much like sturgeon.
• Imitation caviar. This product looks like an expensive delicacy only externally, but it has nothing to do with taste. It is made from chicken protein, seaweed, fish meat and fish oil with the addition of gelatin, spices, salt, vegetable oil, food coloring and preservatives.
• caviar less valuable breeds fish. Sometimes, capelin, cod or halibut caviar, dyed with food coloring, is used as an imitation of a delicacy product. When purchasing an inexpensive product, it will not be superfluous to study its composition on the package.

How to spot a fake

Buy natural black caviar in specialized stores that work directly with fish farms or cooperate with them. So you can eliminate the risk of purchasing an illegal product or a fake. Pay attention to packaging, inscriptions in small print, the brand of the manufacturer and the date of production of the product.

If you have already purchased a jar of gourmet delicacy, but you have doubts about its authenticity, then you can conduct a small experiment that will confirm or refute your fears:

• Place a few eggs in hot water. If they become soft or even dissolve, then this is an imitation of caviar, which is made from algae or gelatin.
• If the water is colored, then you have come across tinted caviar of less valuable fish. It can even be pike caviar or other fish that has large eggs.
• Natural black caviar does not dissolve in hot water, does not lose color, but, on the contrary, acquires a denser texture.

If you pour boiling water over the eggs for 5 minutes, then the sturgeon caviar will practically boil, become dense and be easily cut with a knife, forming an even, smooth cut. The artificial egg will remain liquid and will burst when you try to cut it.

Natural black caviar is a perishable product that cannot be stored for a long time after you open the package. In the refrigerator for it, you need to choose the coldest place next to the freezer. It would be optimal to put an open jar of caviar in a bowl with crushed ice. Freezers are not suitable for storing this delicacy, since freezing negatively affects its quality.

One kilogram of black caviar contains up to 40 thousand eggs, which under natural conditions can turn into fry, and eventually into adult fish. Maybe, Taken measures will help restore the sturgeon population, and they will again be found in abundance in our reservoirs.