Overview of Roe ProductsOverview of Roe Products

Bob Price, UC DavisBob Price, UC Davis

5454thth Annual PFT Meeting Annual PFT Meeting

Reno, NevadaReno, Nevada

Aquatic Roe ProductsAquatic Roe Products

• DefinitionsDefinitions

• World ProductionWorld Production

• Export/Import ValuesExport/Import Values

• Commercial Roe ProductsCommercial Roe Products

Aquatic Roe ProductsAquatic Roe Products

• FAO ClassificationsFAO Classifications– CaviarCaviar– Caviar substitutesCaviar substitutes– Processed roe products (not included Processed roe products (not included

elsewhere)elsewhere)

World Aquatic Roe Production

010,00020,00030,00040,00050,00060,00070,00080,000

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

Year

Met

ric

Tons Total

Caviar

Processed

1999 Roe and Caviar 1999 Roe and Caviar ProductionProduction

(Metric Tons)(Metric Tons)Russian FederationRussian Federation 27,29027,290SwedenSweden 8,8358,835ChinaChina 6,1006,100Korea, SouthKorea, South 4,6394,639NorwayNorway 1,8771,877IcelandIceland 1,1551,155GermanyGermany 888888DenmarkDenmark 571571GreeceGreece 199199SpainSpain 188188IranIran 9797USAUSA 1818

Value of Exports and Imports

050,000100,000150,000200,000250,000300,000350,000400,000450,000500,000

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

Year

1,0

00

$ U

.S.

Exports

Imports

Aquatic Roe ProductsAquatic Roe Products

• Whole ovariesWhole ovaries

• CaviarCaviar

• Caviar substitutesCaviar substitutes

• Processed roe productsProcessed roe products

• Artificial caviarArtificial caviar

Whole ovariesWhole ovaries

sea urchin roe sea urchin roe (uni)(uni)

Shad roe

CaviarCaviar

• “…“…the term ‘caviar’ unqualified the term ‘caviar’ unqualified should be applied only to the product should be applied only to the product prepared by salting sturgeon roe.” prepared by salting sturgeon roe.” [FDA Service and Regulatory [FDA Service and Regulatory Announcement No. 3, March 1917]Announcement No. 3, March 1917]

CaviarCaviar

California California OsetraOsetra

BelugBelugaa

Huso huso

Osetra

Acipenser gueldenstaedtii colchicus

Sevruga

Acipenser stellatus

Acipenser transmontanus

Worlds Most Expensive Worlds Most Expensive CaviarCaviar

The world's most expensive caviar is called Almas (Russian for diamond). This beluga caviar is white in appearance and comes from fish over 100 years old. Almas is extremely rare. Caviar House Almas Iranian caviar is packed in 24K solid gold tins and sells for $23,308 per kg.

Caviar substitutesCaviar substitutes

• Caviar made from aquatic species Caviar made from aquatic species other than sturgeonother than sturgeon

Aquatic Species Suitable for Aquatic Species Suitable for Caviar SubstitutesCaviar Substitutes

AlewifeAlewife BowfinBowfin BreamBreamCapelinCapelin CarpCarp CodCodFlounderFlounder Flying fishFlying fish GobeGobeGrenadierGrenadier HaddockHaddock HalibutHalibutHerringHerring Ling codLing cod LobsterLobsterLumpfishLumpfish MackerelMackerel MulletMulletOrange roughyOrange roughy PaddlefishPaddlefish PerchPerchPikePike PollockPollock RoachRoachSaitheSaithe SalmonSalmon ShrimpShrimpSoleSole TroutTrout TunaTunaWhitefishWhitefish

CapelinCapelin CodCod Flying fishFlying fish

LumpfishLumpfish SalmonSalmon

SmeltSmelt TroutTrout WhitefishWhitefish

Paddlefish

Color Variation in Lumpfish Color Variation in Lumpfish RoeRoe

Processed Roe ProductsProcessed Roe Products

DriedDriedCured Cured FriedFried

FrozenFrozenMarinatedMarinated

PasteurizedPasteurizedPressedPressedSaltedSaltedSlicedSliced

SmokedSmoked

herring roe (kazunoko)herring roe (kazunoko) Pressed sturgeon Pressed sturgeon caviarcaviar

Avgotaraho

Bottarga Fish bait

Artificial CaviarArtificial Caviar

• EurocaviarEurocaviar– Made from a paste of mullet, herring Made from a paste of mullet, herring

and salmon eggs, and gelatinand salmon eggs, and gelatin– Formed into 2-3 mm ballsFormed into 2-3 mm balls– Infrared thermotreatmentInfrared thermotreatment– Cured in flavored brineCured in flavored brine– PasteurizedPasteurized

• Cavi*ArtCavi*Art– First vegetarian caviar (introduced First vegetarian caviar (introduced

2000)2000)– Made from seaweed and alginic acidMade from seaweed and alginic acid

Caviar Quality GuidelinesCaviar Quality Guidelines• Beluga CaviarBeluga Caviar

– Grade 1: Large grain. Absolute top quality.Grade 1: Large grain. Absolute top quality. • 000 light gray. The most expensive and precious.000 light gray. The most expensive and precious.• 00 medium gray 00 medium gray • 0 dark gray  0 dark gray 

– Grade 2: Smaller grain. Medium to light gray. Grade 2: Smaller grain. Medium to light gray. • Osetra CaviarOsetra Caviar

– Grade 1 Grade 1 • Color A: gray goldColor A: gray gold• Color B: dark grayColor B: dark gray

– Grade 2 Grade 2 • Smaller grainSmaller grain• Medium gray colorMedium gray color

• Sevruga CaviarSevruga Caviar – Grade 1 Grade 1

• Dark gray to light gray Dark gray to light gray – Grade 2:Grade 2:

• Smaller grainSmaller grain• Dark gray PRESSED CAVIAR Dark gray PRESSED CAVIAR 

ReferencesReferences

• Sternin, V. and Dore, I. 1993. Caviar: The Resource Book. Cultura, Moscow, Russia.Sternin, V. and Dore, I. 1993. Caviar: The Resource Book. Cultura, Moscow, Russia.• http://www.epicurious.com/http://www.epicurious.com/• http://www.foodsubs.com/Caviar.htmlhttp://www.foodsubs.com/Caviar.html• http://www.nvogue.com/nVogueFoods/Caviar/caviarguide.htmhttp://www.nvogue.com/nVogueFoods/Caviar/caviarguide.htm• http://members.tripod.com/CaviarInc/a5.htmhttp://members.tripod.com/CaviarInc/a5.htm• http://www.tsarnicoulai.com/index.htmlhttp://www.tsarnicoulai.com/index.html• http://www.caviarchef.com/default.tplhttp://www.caviarchef.com/default.tpl• https://secure.galisteo.com/pro-src/scripts/caviar-direct/pricelist.htmlhttps://secure.galisteo.com/pro-src/scripts/caviar-direct/pricelist.html• http://www.farm-2-market.com/products/caviar.html#WILDhttp://www.farm-2-market.com/products/caviar.html#WILD• http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe.asp?cat=3&source=pepperjamhttp://www.igourmet.com/shoppe.asp?cat=3&source=pepperjam• http://www.sterlingcaviar.com/http://www.sterlingcaviar.com/• http://www.icaviar.com/american.htmhttp://www.icaviar.com/american.htm• http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-000102107dec26.story?coll=la-headlines-http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-000102107dec26.story?coll=la-headlines-

food-manualfood-manual• http://www.ippi.com/dir_aaa/col_tobiko.htmlhttp://www.ippi.com/dir_aaa/col_tobiko.html• http://www.farawayfoods.com/tunaroe.htmlhttp://www.farawayfoods.com/tunaroe.html• http://www.866-caviar6.com/American_Caviar.htmlhttp://www.866-caviar6.com/American_Caviar.html• http://www.freshcaviar.com/caviarprices.htmhttp://www.freshcaviar.com/caviarprices.htm