Club Des Belugas Best Of

[Abigael Ortyl]

There are only a few dishes in the world that are immediately associated with luxury. Although not many people have been given the opportunity to experience it, caviar is a coveted delicacy that will transport your taste buds to the ocean with every mouth-watering bite.

Beluga sturgeon, or huso huso as it's also called, originate from the Caspian Sea. They have strong bony plates covering their bodies, shark-like tails and long snouts. Of all the sturgeon species, this fish is the largest and happens to be the only carnivore of its species. Beluga sturgeon is also one of the oldest fish, dating back 200 million years to when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Beluga have a similar life cycle to salmon, hatching in freshwater and spending most of their adult life in saltwater. When it comes time to spawn, they travel upriver to lay eggs in freshwater. The life span of the female sturgeon can exceed 110 years, but they do not begin producing eggs until they are around 20 years old, when they are fully mature.

Beluga caviar is highly sought-after and one of the most luxurious food products in the world. Russian Beluga sturgeon produce the world's best caviar. Due to the incredibly long reproduction cycle, obtaining beluga roe for caviar can be quite the waiting game, causing an increase in the price of purchasing it. However, the slow reproduction cycle is only part of the reason why Beluga caviar is so costly.

Caviar has an extremely interesting back story. There once was a time when caviar was only served to royalty. The British kings of the middle ages reserved all of the Beluga sturgeon for their own consumption calling it the "Royal Fish." It didn't take long for word to spread about this delicious roe. The practice of eating caviar spread to Russia, later catapulting caviar into the world of divine luxury. Caviar eventually began its takeover of Europe, and many cultures prized this delicacy as a treat.

Originally, Native American tribes relied on the abundant populations of sturgeon as a major food source, especially the tribes of the Great Lakes region. With the arrival of European settlers, who preferred lake trout and herring, sturgeon fish came to be viewed as a pest that destroyed fishing nets, so commercial fishermen often exterminated them. In 1873, a German immigrant named Henry Schacht developed the first caviar business in America on the Delaware River, thus changing the world of caviar forever.

Due to the abundance of sturgeon found in murky waters, Schacht was able to sell the roe at a fraction of the cost compared to the European market. The west coast got wind of this caviar gold mine Schacht was sitting on and began to harvest roe as well. Eventually, more and more businesses began to harvest roe, and by the 19th century, the United States was producing approximately 90% of the world's caviar. Almost 40% of that caviar came from Beluga, making it the most heavily fished sturgeon of the 27 species.

Back in the day, Beluga caviar was sold in the U.S. for pennies due to the abundance of sturgeon fish found in the waters. In fact, many shops and saloons gave Beluga caviar out for free because the saltiness of the roe made consumers thirsty, forcing them to purchase food and water.

Everything was going just swimmingly up until the start of the 20th century when 18 of the 27 species of sturgeon made their way onto the endangered list due to being overfished. Can you guess which species was at the top? If you guessed Beluga, you are correct.

Today, the Beluga sturgeon is more critically endangered than almost any other species. Even with this classification, the wild Beluga population continued to dwindle for a long time due to people still overfishing this species to harvest their oh-so-tasty buttery roe. In 2005, the U.S. banned the sale and import of this highly prized fish and its heavenly rich eggs.

To this day, Beluga caviar is still banned, making it illegal to import Beluga caviar. In fact, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must inspect all caviar that comes into the U.S., making sure it is labeled correctly and that it is not caviar made from Beluga roe.

Due to overfishing and the destruction of the sturgeon's natural habitat in the Caspian Sea, conservation authorities placed a ban on Beluga caviar in the hopes of one day being able to remove them from the endangered species list. As of today, they are still highly vulnerable to extinction, making it impossible to obtain Beluga caviar here in the U.S. However, with the help of sturgeon farms, the future is starting to look bright!

As wild sturgeon stocks and caviar production begin to decrease, the global demand for caviar has increased, sending the prices for this delicacy through the roof. Thank goodness for ambitious farmers that have taken on the challenge of raising sturgeon. Unfortunately, due to the many years that it takes females to produce eggs for caviar, sturgeon caviar production is very time-consuming and expensive.

Today, sturgeon farms are found all over the world. There are 21 farms in the U.S. and 51 farms found in 15 countries throughout Europe, including 10 in France, eight in Germany, six in Italy and five in Spain. There are also several farms across Asia.

With so many caviar options out there and so many ways to enjoy caviar, there is a choice for everyone. However, the rising star that never disappoints is the Kaluga hybrid caviar. The Kaluga hybrid caviar is a combination of the River Beluga Roe and Amur Roe. When combined, this caviar is without a doubt one of the most delicious caviars your taste buds will try.

Kaluga hybrid caviar is a true delicacy and an experience in itself when enjoyed. It's considered the highest grade hybrid caviar in the world and one of the highest grade caviars one can have in the U.S., as it closely resembles the buttery and mild taste of Beluga sturgeon caviar.

Whether you're enjoying caviar in New York or Iran, pretty much everyone can agree that caviar is a true delight that everyone should be able to experience. Caviar is a delicious treat, but it is also a great source of vitamins and minerals, making it as healthy as it is divine.

If you are trying caviar for the first time, we highly recommend using a special mother-of-pearl spoon to make sure your caviar does not absorb any metallic flavors from metal spoons. Take a small spoonful into your mouth and roll the grains onto your tongue, truly savoring all the flavors from this special luxury! Many people will enjoy caviar as is, but feel free to incorporate complementary flavors such as chives, lemon, sour cream or onion.

Another great way to enjoy caviar is either on a cracker, creme fraiche or a blini! A blini is authentic to Russia and is simply a thin pancake or crepe. Scoop a dollop of caviar on top of a warm blini and sprinkle on chives. You can add butter or sour cream to enhance the creamy texture or just leave it as is. Simply roll up the blini and enjoy!

Imperia Caviar sources our caviar from responsible and sustainable caviar farms, where sturgeon thrive in a nearly wild environment. Because we know how overharvesting and habitat destruction impacted the Beluga sturgeon species, we're committed to ensuring all sturgeon species last through responsible, ethical farming practices.

Although Beluga caviar is illegal to buy and sell in the U.S., you can order our Kaluga Hybrid Reserve caviar, which is the closest alternative in flavor and texture. Shop online to browse our available caviar. Are you a connoisseur that wants to enjoy caviar regularly? Join our caviar club and receive monthly or bimonthly deliveries of caviar with no-cost shipping.

Among the rarest and intriguing whales are the beluga whales. Belugas are frequently spotted throughout Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, preferring colder climates and areas largely untouched by humans, and, significantly in the past, where there was no whaling industry.

However, as the summer season approaches, many belugas will migrate from the center of the Arctic south to the northern coasts of Canada and Greenland. In fact, a Canadian conservatory group known as the Assiniboine Park Conservancy developed a Beluga Whale Live Cam so that viewers from home could observe belugas as they migrated towards the northern coast of the Canadian province of Manitoba.

When not appearing on live camera feeds, beluga whales are most commonly found in Arctic regions. Adventurers who visit northern Canada, Greenland, and Norway's Svalbard archipelago are in prime locations to see belugas swimming and playing in their natural habitats.

Here at Quark Expeditions, we've created a guide for Svalbard adventurers on how to experience whale watching in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. In addition to the helpful tips on how to enjoy whale watching in and around these islands, principally Spitsbergen, we've created a list of travel recommendations for whale-watching in Svalbard.

As a bonus, you'll get to see other wildlife native to the Svalbard islands. In addition to whales, polar bears are frequently spotted across Svalbard. You'll have the best opportunity to witness these amazing animals as they approach the shoreline while hunting for seals and other marine animals along the ice edge.

Summertime is prime time for whale watching. This is the time of year when whales, especially belugas, will migrate away from the center of the Arctic Circle and navigate towards sub-Arctic regions on the cusp of the northern ocean.

You can book any of our Svalbard adventures for an opportunity to see beluga whales near the archipelago. We recommend the Spitsbergen In Depth: Big Islands, Big Adventure expedition as this 14-day experience gives you a chance to explore the biggest island of the Svalbard archipelago.

The summer months melt the thickest ice sheets surrounding the islands, which allows polar vessels, like our new technologically-advanced Ultramarine, to safely navigate the waters surrounding Svalbard, including the island of Spitsbergen. Our 20 quick-launching Zodiacs enable you to explore the polar environment of Svalbard whenever there are wildlife sightings, including beluga whales, polar bears, and other animals that inhabit the region.

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