Red Caviar
A more affordable alternative to true black caviar, red caviar is the roe of salmon instead of sturgeon. Often served in conjunction with black caviar at festive events in Eastern Europe, red caviar has a taste and consistency that is associated with luxury and higher living. The lower price is due to the fact that salmon are much more accessible than sturgeon. Types of real caviar including black caviar and Beluga caviar come from elusive and prehistoric fish that are quite reclusive and difficult to find.
Taken from the Siberian salmon, hunchback salmon, and red salmon, red caviar differs depending on the species from which it is harvested. The best red caviar is considered to be from Siberian salmon. Harvested by extracting the roe from the fish and stitching up the incision has become the main method for collecting caviar. This allows the fish to continue producing eggs and allows for commercial farmers to produce the delicacy without removing the ovaries from the animal.
Iran is currently the largest producer of caviar, exporting more than 300 metric tons, followed by Russia. Serving cultural importance in both the East and the West, caviar has become a popular spread or garnish for many luxurious dishes and is often served on crackers or bread hors d'œuvres style. Named for the way it is preserved, caviar itself comes from the Russian word for "little salt". Extremely perishable, caviar must be refrigerated immediately before consumption.
Other alternatives to black caviar have been produced around the world as well. In Scandinavia, a significantly cheaper version of caviar made from mashed and smoked cod row is sold in tubes and as sandwich filling. American caviar is another alternative to the delicacy and uses fish native to the country. This type of caviar is much more affordable than traditional caviar and still possesses a rich and flavorful taste. There is also a vegetarian form of caviar made from algae-based products.
Red caviar from salmon roe are an affordable alternative to the more expensive black caviar harvested from sturgeon eggs. Salmon caviar first became popular in the early twentieth century, and was in high demand in Japan. Because salmon eggs are red, Russians came to know them as red caviar, in contrast to black caviar from the sturgeon. Today, red caviar is popular in sushi, sandwhiches, bagels, crackers, and salads.
The source of red caviar is the roe Chinook or Coho Salmon. Vastly different than black caviar, red caviar has a much larger roe, which can often reach the size of a pearl. The Chinook and Coho salmon which produce red caviar are found mostly in Alaska and Canada.
The red caviar as you may expect has a vibrant red color. Red caviar is less expensive than black and beluga caviar due to the more common nature of the fish which it is the source of. More expensive than American caviar, red caviar is seen as being on the higher echelon of luxury caviar.
