What Is Caviar And Why Is It So Expensive?

Ever imagined yourself lying on the deck of a Malibu beach house, sipping on some of the finest champagnes in the world while eating caviar? Well, it’s time to wake up and get back to reality because good caviar is not that affordable after-all.

Before explaining about caviar and why it’s so expensive, it is important to understand that there is a small difference between roe and caviar. Both of them are fish eggs, however, caviar is roe that has been cured (salted) and placed in tins for ageing and storage. Caviar is one of the most expensive delicacies of the world as it is considered to be a sign of wealth and is also considered a luxury. The Guinness World Record states that the most expensive caviar in the world is the ‘Almas’ caviar, which comes from the Iranian Beluga Fish. It is also known as ‘Black Gold’ and 1 kg of this rare caviar is sold for a whopping 17,18,421 rupees.

Traditionally, caviar is supposed to be eaten directly from the index finger and the thumb. The eggs are supposed to be rolled slowly around the mouth and eventually they pop to release the salty flavor. The taste of caviar is quite controversial among people as some audiences call it too salty, some enjoy it and some hate it because of the seafood texture and flavor. In reality, it’s like beer- you acquire the taste, the more you have it, the more you’ll fall in love with it.

The expensive price that comes along with caviar is directly related to its rarity, along with time and resources required for production. However, the most important factor that determines the price of a certain type of caviar is rarity. What people consider to be ‘real caviar’, comes from sturgeon, which is a saltwater anadromous fish. Due to over-fishing, the population of wild sturgeon has decreased massively in recent years and is almost near extinction. The supply of ‘real caviar’ from the sturgeon is not even close to what is was around 30 years ago. These factors contribute to the expensive price tag set on caviar and this is probably a quintessential example of spreading awareness about the protection of marine life.