With most sturgeon sourced caviar now in danger of being consumed to death, could the North American whitefish become the best source of caviar for the masses?
By: Ringo Bones
For as long as there been a whitefish industry in America and Canada, it has been suggested – for some time now – that whitefish eggs or roe may be made into caviar. And with the looming inevitability of sturgeon sourced caviar being eaten into extinction, whitefish sourced caviar – like its “fishy” counterpart could become an industry in itself. Fortunately, whitefish has an edge – in fecundity terms – in comparison to its sturgeon counterparts. But can whitefish caviar hold its own in the increasingly diversified – and competitive – caviar market?
Whitefish is an important salmon-like fish of the family Coregonidae. Found in North American lakes from about the latitude of the Great Lakes and northward, it is represented throughout its range by several subspecies. The whitefish, scientific name Coregonus clupeiformis, are very important food fish in the Great Lakes region. And although virtually depleted in some areas of the northern United States due to overfishing and pollution, about 4 million pounds are still marketed annually. Whitefish brings a high price; most of which are sold fresh while some are smoked. Whitefish roe has been made into caviar for as long as there is a whitefish industry in America, but most of it is only sold domestically.
Whitefish lives on a diet of insects and shellfish in moderately deep water for most of the year. It migrates shoreward in late spring and again in fall, when it spawns over shoal areas in depths of 4 to 20 feet. The average specimen runs between 2 and 4 lbs. but it reaches a maximum weight of over 20 lbs. The oldest specimen on record, as determined by reading the year marks on the scales, was 26 years of age. The Rocky Mountain whitefish or mountain herring, scientific name Coregonus williamsoni, is also an excellent food fish which may be caught by dry fly. Other species of whitefish are found in the Northern Hemisphere in temperate and Arctic regions.
Whitefish has crisply sparkling yellow eggs that burst with fresh flavour. Its naturally mild taste lends itself well to various flavour infusions like raw sea urchin to make it taste more like beluga caviar and smoking process. As a whole, mild flavoured caviars’ flavour variability are very dependent of the source fishes’ prevailing environmental conditions which it lived and the ingredients used in the roe’s preparation. Given the species’ excellent fecundity rate and increased anti-pollution and restocking campaigns, not to mention its good price-to-taste ratio, whitefish sourced caviar could well be the caviar for the masses.
Showing posts with label Beluga Caviar Alternatives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beluga Caviar Alternatives. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Can American Caviar Save The Beluga Sturgeon From Extinction?
After receiving rave reviews from prominent caviar connoisseurs during the past few years, will American-made caviar save the Beluga sturgeon from going extinct?
By: Ringo Bones
Though there is still a dearth of concerted conservation efforts to save the Beluga sturgeon from going extinct, the United States – being the number one (up to 80%) consumer of caviar in the world – had tried their hands at finding viable substitutes for the now seriously endangered Beluga caviar. American-grown varieties of caviar and / or Beluga caviar substitutes have since gained popularity after receiving glowing reviews from respected and prominent caviar tasters since the start of the 21st Century. But will these American-grown caviar and caviar-like preparations ever save the Beluga sturgeon from going the way of the dodo especially if the Beluga sturgeon only ends up on the endangered-species lists in name only? After all, without concerted efforts of restocking and spawning of the Beluga sturgeon and a well-enforced moratorium on the harvest and export of Beluga caviar, substitutes for Beluga caviar – no matter how tasty – could serve no purpose whatsoever in preventing its scarcer brethren from going extinct.
Given the success of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho’s white sturgeon recovery program, American-grown white-sturgeon caviar could be the most environmentally friendly alternative to the very endangered Beluga caviar. Stolt Sea Farm’s Sterling brand of white-sturgeon caviar has been touted by caviar connoisseurs as the best alternative to the now very scarce Caspian Sea variants of imported caviar. Sterling caviar has a rich, nutty taste similar to a Caspian Sea sourced Ossetra / Oscetra caviar. Sterling caviar – like Beluga caviar – tastes great straight from the tin or with traditional garnishes like sour cream and blinis / blintze.
After becoming a hit at Tip Sheet’s taste test back in the summer of 2002, Sunburst Trout Co.’s rainbow-trout caviar – made from rainbow-trout roe – was described by noted fish guru Rick Moonen as “decadent” especially when served with crème fraîche. Although cannot be strictly classified as a true-blue caviar under the 1966 U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ruling on what can be labeled as caviar, Sunburst’s rainbow-trout caviar is also notable for its refreshingly effervescent pop. This is one tasty caviar substitute.
Another notable caviar substitute is the wasabi-infused whitefish roe produced by Tsar Nicoulai. Described as having made an imperial showing since its introduction back in the summer of 2002, Tsar’s whitefish roes goes best – according to Michael Schenk, executive chef at New York’s Oceana – on tuna tartare. I haven’t tried this particular brand of whitefish roe yet, but most whitefish roe that I’ve tried so far can be “tweaked” to taste as close as possible to Beluga caviar by adding well-measured amounts of grated raw sea urchin meat.
Very popular in my neck of the woods – although not exactly cheap at around 30 US dollars an ounce – is the great tasting paddlefish roe by L’Osage. Notable for its Beluga caviar like texture and appearance, most folks in my place prefer to eat it with poached eggs and mayonnaise – and they’ll be virtually in heaven. But it is not as good as Beluga caviar when eaten via the traditional method using a tin or silver spoon straight out of the can.
These are just some of viable Beluga caviar substitutes that have been well reviewed by various caviar connoisseurs. Newer ones could be introduced this summer in a food festival near you. If this proves to be a success, it could hopefully lower the demand of Beluga caviar just enough to prevent the Beluga sturgeon from going extinct in their Caspian Sea home waters.
By: Ringo Bones
Though there is still a dearth of concerted conservation efforts to save the Beluga sturgeon from going extinct, the United States – being the number one (up to 80%) consumer of caviar in the world – had tried their hands at finding viable substitutes for the now seriously endangered Beluga caviar. American-grown varieties of caviar and / or Beluga caviar substitutes have since gained popularity after receiving glowing reviews from respected and prominent caviar tasters since the start of the 21st Century. But will these American-grown caviar and caviar-like preparations ever save the Beluga sturgeon from going the way of the dodo especially if the Beluga sturgeon only ends up on the endangered-species lists in name only? After all, without concerted efforts of restocking and spawning of the Beluga sturgeon and a well-enforced moratorium on the harvest and export of Beluga caviar, substitutes for Beluga caviar – no matter how tasty – could serve no purpose whatsoever in preventing its scarcer brethren from going extinct.
Given the success of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho’s white sturgeon recovery program, American-grown white-sturgeon caviar could be the most environmentally friendly alternative to the very endangered Beluga caviar. Stolt Sea Farm’s Sterling brand of white-sturgeon caviar has been touted by caviar connoisseurs as the best alternative to the now very scarce Caspian Sea variants of imported caviar. Sterling caviar has a rich, nutty taste similar to a Caspian Sea sourced Ossetra / Oscetra caviar. Sterling caviar – like Beluga caviar – tastes great straight from the tin or with traditional garnishes like sour cream and blinis / blintze.
After becoming a hit at Tip Sheet’s taste test back in the summer of 2002, Sunburst Trout Co.’s rainbow-trout caviar – made from rainbow-trout roe – was described by noted fish guru Rick Moonen as “decadent” especially when served with crème fraîche. Although cannot be strictly classified as a true-blue caviar under the 1966 U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ruling on what can be labeled as caviar, Sunburst’s rainbow-trout caviar is also notable for its refreshingly effervescent pop. This is one tasty caviar substitute.
Another notable caviar substitute is the wasabi-infused whitefish roe produced by Tsar Nicoulai. Described as having made an imperial showing since its introduction back in the summer of 2002, Tsar’s whitefish roes goes best – according to Michael Schenk, executive chef at New York’s Oceana – on tuna tartare. I haven’t tried this particular brand of whitefish roe yet, but most whitefish roe that I’ve tried so far can be “tweaked” to taste as close as possible to Beluga caviar by adding well-measured amounts of grated raw sea urchin meat.
Very popular in my neck of the woods – although not exactly cheap at around 30 US dollars an ounce – is the great tasting paddlefish roe by L’Osage. Notable for its Beluga caviar like texture and appearance, most folks in my place prefer to eat it with poached eggs and mayonnaise – and they’ll be virtually in heaven. But it is not as good as Beluga caviar when eaten via the traditional method using a tin or silver spoon straight out of the can.
These are just some of viable Beluga caviar substitutes that have been well reviewed by various caviar connoisseurs. Newer ones could be introduced this summer in a food festival near you. If this proves to be a success, it could hopefully lower the demand of Beluga caviar just enough to prevent the Beluga sturgeon from going extinct in their Caspian Sea home waters.
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