Considered a delicacy around the world, let’s investigate the history of caviar.

As with ketchup and coffee, there is an entire book on the history of caviar; we’ll cover what we can here.

Definition: The roe of sturgeon, especially the beluga, or other fish, usually served as an hors d’oeuvre or appetizer.

Further, the FDA maintains that the word “caviar” when standing alone only refers to sturgeon roe. Otherwise, there should be at least one, preferably more, modifying words preceding caviar to indicate its origin. For example, California white sturgeon caviar.

In more recent times, farmed caviar has become more common, in which case it would do one well to specify farmed or wild caviar as well.

The word “caviar” itself denotes either Turkish or Persian origins – historians are unclear.

Caviar has been around for centuries, first from sturgeon in the Caspian Sea during the 1500s, and then from the sturgeon in America’s rivers.

Most sturgeon, by the way, are saltwater fish, but they spawn in freshwater.

The Hudson River, right here in my hometown of Albany, New York, was particularly plentiful. Caviar derived from this river was called, amusingly, “Albany beef.”

In the 1800s is when there was a “caviar boom:” sturgeon were abundant in American rivers as well as the Caspian Sea. Russia began producing the commodity, as well as Iran, which is located on the southern end of the sea.

Russian caviar was believed to be the best caviar, prepared the “malossol way” – which basically means, lightly salted. Most caviar was heavily salted to extend the shelf life, which could take away from its natural flavors.

As sturgeon began to be seriously overfished, starting in the 1900s, the price jumped for not the first time. This caviar crisis resulted in fraudulent caviar labeling – US caviar would be sent out and come back relabeled Russian caviar. Even in Europe, caviar labeled Russian was nine times of out ten American.

Here are the highlights of caviar’s life:

• 300s BC: Roe of sturgeon can be traced back this far according to records from Aristotle.
• 1200s: Earliest record of caviar came from Batu Khan, Genghis Khan’s grandson.
• Early 1500s: American settlers discovered sturgeon, but did not yet enjoy the fish as the Native Americans did; it was fed to slaves.
• 1500s: Expanded to the rest of Europe as a luxury item for royalty.
• 1800s: Came into the international trade market.
• 1873: Henry Schacht developed a caviar business using the Delaware River, sparking the US to become a large caviar producer. The “caviar boom” commenced.
• Late 1800s: US took the lead as the largest major producer of caviar in the world. Bars served caviar free of charge, allowing the salty flavor to provoke patrons into ordering more drinks.
• 1906: Ban was placed on commercial sturgeon fishing in the US.
• 1910: Caviar became very expensive in the US, sparking fraud and black market caviar-selling.
• 1960s: Prices really soared, and farmed fishing began being practiced.
• 1988: Because of overfishing in the Caspian Sea the sturgeon was declared an endangered species; trade began being regulated.
• 2006: United Nations banned export of beluga sturgeon caviar from the Caspian Sea region.

Today, caviar enjoyed in America is often American caviar, although not necessarily from sturgeon. And, there are very strict restrictions on importing and exporting the delicacy. 

Sturgeon are still federally protected, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy other types of caviar; many speak highly of salmon caviar, whitefish caviar, etc. Good caviar doesn’t necessarily have to come from the sturgeon.

As one website put it, “As caviar lovers and wine lovers both know, the affordable and accessible is as enjoyable as the rare and costly.”

That being said, sturgeon caviar is making a slow comeback.

In addition to sturgeon being included on the endangered species list, the method of extracting caviar has changed. Originally, the fish were clubbed and the ovaries disconnected; clearly, the fish died. Often the remaining flesh would be sold.

Now, the roe is more often removed surgically and then is sewn back up; the fish is released to mate again.

Sturgeon can live to be over 100 years old, becoming sexually mature at 15. Thus, sturgeon should once again prosper in our waters.

Find different kinds of American caviar at the bottom of the page here.