Aside from being one of the world’s most luxurious foods, caviar has facts and health benefits that you may not have heard of. Here are a few things you may not know about these exquisite fish eggs.
1. Caviar is a highly concentrated source of nutrients. Caviar is packed with vitamins and minerals (Omega 3) and is high in protein. One serving of caviar has an adult’s daily requirement of B12, as well as vitamins A, E, B6, iron, magnesium and selenium.
2. It lasts longer than one day. As caviar is essentially a cured fish, it has a very good shelf-life, even after it has been opened. When it is stored in the coldest part of a refrigerator, usually the bottom section, it should stay as fresh and as tasty as the day it was opened for up to 5 days.
3. The word “caviar” didn’t originate in Russia. The most popular legend has it that the word caviar originally came from the Persian “khav-yar", meaning ‘cake of power’ as ancient Persians widely believed it to have medicinal powers.
4. Caviar can be heard! You can hear the friction when you rub fish eggs together, with a clearly distinguishable sound like a cat’s purr.
5. Caviar is one of the oldest delicacies. Kings and the aristocracy in ancient Greece, Rome and Russian were all known to feast on caviar, before oysters, truffles, and Champagne had even been discovered.
6. The world's most expensive caviar comes from a 100 year-old sturgeon. Almas caviar is created from the eggs of a 70-100 year old huso huso sturgeon (which produces beluga caviar). It is sold for around £35,000 per kilo, which means it can be more than £1,000 for a 30g tin.
7. Caviar is incredibly versatile. Although traditionally caviar is served on blinis or toast, it’s actually a very versatile delicacy. Early Russian caviar lovers preferred to have their fish eggs served on a baked potato. Nowadays, you can find caviar served with just about anything, from quail eggs Benedict to gourmet burgers and lobster mousse!
