A bottle of wine, a taste of caviar, and thou …
by Mary Ann Reese
Okay, so that’s not exactly how Omar Khayyám wrote it in the 1100s. But Idaho, long known for its meat and potatoes, is now venturing into some trendier, more exotic foods.
University of Idaho researchers are helping Merlot wine producers find ways to improve wine quality with the use of a fine clay to protect vulnerable grapes from sunscald.
And then there’s caviar, the processed, salted roe of certain fish species, notably the sturgeon (black caviar) and salmon (red caviar). Given its high price in the West, caviar is synonymous with luxury and wealth and is often reserved for holiday feasts and weddings in much of the world.
Caviar is eaten as a garnish or a spread, for example on toast with cream cheese, in hollowed and cooked new potatoes, on a blini, or garnished with sour cream, crème fraiche, minced onions, or minced hard boiled egg whites. Higher-grade caviars need very little embellishment.
University of Idaho scientists are working with several Idaho companies now entering the caviar market, all part of Idaho’s versatility in food production.
Caviar Quick Facts
-
The Caspian Sea produces 90% of the world’s caviar.
- Harvest and sale of black caviar have been banned in
Russia since August 2007.
- Global caviar sales in 2007 were about $88 million a year.
- American lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) mature sexually in 15 to 20 years and can weigh 100 pounds. They spawn once every 5 to 7 years and yield about 25% of their body weight in roe. Their caviar is comparable in size, color, and flavor to Caspian Osetra.
- Though their tastes are similar, wild caviar is significantly more expensive than the farmed variety. American sturgeon caviar costs about $20 an ounce compared to $140 an ounce for Caspian Sea beluga caviar.
- Most caviars are handled with a spoon made of mother of pearl, bone, or other non-metallic material because metal utensils tend to lend an unwelcome metallic taste to delicate roe.
Explore:
Sophisticated Palates- Idaho tiptoes into caviar market
Helping Idaho wine producers
 top
|