18 July: National Caviar Day

Today is National Caviar Day, celebrating the delicacy made from sturgeon roe. Here's what you need to know about caviar.

1. Traditionally, if it isn't made of the eggs of a member of the sturgeon family it isn't caviar. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization agrees, and has stated that roe from any other species of fish such as Salmon, steelhead, Trout, lumpfish, whitefish or carp should be termed a caviar substitute.
2. The word caviar comes from a the Turkish word, havyar, which in turn comes from khayah, the Persian word for Egg. Russians call it ikra, and the people who make it are called Ikrjanschik. Ikrjanschik are highly skilled - their apprenticeship can last as long as 15 years.
3. It is one of the earliest known delicacies, and was enjoyed by Ancient Greeks, Romans and Russian tsars before Oysters, Champagne or Truffles were even heard of. The oldest written account of caviar dates back to the 1240s.
4. It's known for being expensive - a type of beluga caviar called Almas (which means "diamond" in Russian) sold only by London’s Caviar House and packaged in a 24 karat gold box, costs around 40,000 euros per kilo. Even more expensive is Strottarga Bianco caviar, which is made from rare albino sturgeon eggs laced with 22-carat Gold. That would set you back $300,000 a kilo. That said, it doesn't have to be expensive, either. At one time, in the US, sturgeon was so plentiful in the rivers that caviar was a common bar snack, much like peanuts are today, and the USA also exported it to Europe.
5. Lots of things can affect the taste of caviar, such as how salty the Water is and what type of algae grows in it. Experts can classify it, like Wine.
6. If you want to serve up some good quality caviar, here's how it's done. First of all, when buying your caviar, listen to it. If it is good quality, the fish eggs rubbing together make a sound rather like a Cat purring. You might be thinking that for something this expensive, only a Silver spoon will do to serve it with. That's wrong. Don't use metal at all, because it spoils the flavour. Use a spoon made from glass, bone or, ideally, mother of pearl. Traditionally, caviar is eaten from your hand - from the skin between the thumb and index finger, but it can be served in a crystal or glass bowl over ice.
7. A spoonful of caviar supplies the adult daily requirement of vitamin B12. It also contains Zinc and protein, but on the down side is high in cholesterol and Salt.
8. It has been eaten for medicinal purposes in years gone by - it was said to cure depression and impotence. There may be some truth in that. Caviar is rich in omega-3s which according to recent studies, may alleviate symptoms of depression and bipolar disorder, while zinc deficiency has been associated with some depressive disorders. Zinc is also known to play a key role in the function of the prostate gland so there may be something in the impotence cure idea, too.
9. Caviar may be associated with Russia - beluga sturgeon live wild in the Caspian Sea, which is bordered by Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan - but it can also be farmed, and the eggs extracted from the female fish without killing her. The country which produces most of the world's caviar, 20% of it, to be exact, is in fact Italy.
10. In 1324, Edward II of England decreed that the sturgeon was a Royal Fish, meaning all sturgeon found in and around the UK belong to the Queen. There is an exception to that - there is just one company in Britain which produces caviar; Exmoor Caviar. They received a letter from the Queen saying that sturgeons held by Exmoor Caviar would belong to the company.