Ossetra (also Oscietra, Osetra, or Asetra)

caviar Caviar (also known as caviare; from fa, خاویار, khâvyâr, egg-bearing) is a food consisting of salt-cured roe of the family Acipenseridae. Caviar is considered a delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or a spread. Traditionally, the ter ...

is one of the most prized and expensive types of caviar (eclipsed in price only by

Beluga caviar Beluga caviar is caviar consisting of the roe (or eggs) of the beluga sturgeon ''Huso huso''. The fish is found primarily in the Caspian Sea, which is bordered by Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. It can also be found in th ...

). It is obtained from the Ossetra sturgeon, which weighs 50-400 pounds and can live up to 50 years. Ossetra caviar varies in color from deep brown to gold. Lighter varieties are more sought after, as they have the richest flavor and come from the oldest sturgeon. Golden Ossetra is a rare form of Ossetra caviar and is golden-yellow with a very rich flavor. The word Ossetra is the transcription of the genitive case form "осетра" (osetra, "of sturgeon") of the Russian word "осётр" (osyotr "sturgeon") from the phrase ''икра осетра'' (ikra osetra, "caviar of sturgeon"). At one time, "ossetra" referred to Russian sturgeon species harvested for this type of caviar.

Source animals

In Russian, there are different names for the species of sturgeon that live in various territories, such as ''

Beluga The beluga whale (/bɪˈluːɡə/) (Delphinapterus leucas) is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. It is one of two members of the family Monodontidae, along with the narwhal, and the only member of the genus Delphinapterus. It is also known as the wh ...

'' (''Huso huso''), Sevruga (''

Acipenser stellatus The starry sturgeon (''Acipenser stellatus'') also known as stellate sturgeon or sevruga (Drakul, , and tr, Uzun Burun, lit=long nosed), is a species of sturgeon. It is native to the Black, Azov, Caspian and Aegean sea basins, but it has b ...

'') and Sterlet (''

Acipenser ruthenus The sterlet (''Acipenser ruthenus'') is a relatively small species of sturgeon from Eurasia native to large rivers that flow into the Black Sea, Azov Sea, and Caspian Sea, as well as rivers in Siberia as far east as Yenisei. Populations migrat ...

''). The name Ossetra corresponds to the species ''

Acipenser gueldenstaedtii The Russian sturgeon (''Acipenser gueldenstaedtii''), also known as the diamond sturgeon or Danube sturgeon, is a species of fish in the family Acipenseridae. It is found in Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia, Turke ...

'', which is much smaller than Beluga sturgeon (''Huso huso''), and has a firmer texture. In the territory of the Russian Federation dwells another type of sturgeon,

Siberian sturgeon The Siberian sturgeon (''Acipenser baerii'') is a species of sturgeon in the family Acipenseridae. It is most present in all of the major Siberian river basins that drain northward into the Kara, Laptev and East Siberian Seas, including the ...

(''Acipenser Baerii''), which is farmed all over the world because it can adapt to a wider range of habitats. It begins to produce caviar faster than ''Acipenser gueldenstaedtii''.

Production

Today, the Ossetra-bearing species faces extinction in its native Caspian habitat because wild-caught Russian sturgeon (acipenser gueldenstaedtii) are immediately slaughtered to determine their sex and egg-bearing condition. Farm-raised sturgeon are periodically scanned by harmless ultrasound to make the same determination. Continuous drastic declines in natural sturgeon populations over the past 30 years, plus a high market demand for caviar, have led the way for the cultivation of sturgeon for caviar production. Russia, Iran, members of the European Union, China, and th

were among the first; however, for the very same reasons, more countries outside the natural range of Caspian native sturgeons also became involved (e.g., Uruguay, Arabian countries, Israel, Iran, and more recently Vietnam). As with all other caviar, ossetra is traditionally served on

blinis A blini (sometimes spelled bliny) ( pl., diminutive: блинчики, ''blinchiki'', dialectal, diminutive: млинчики, ''mlynchiki'') or, sometimes, blin (more accurate as a single form of the noun), is a Russian and more broadly Eastern ...

with crème fraiche, chopped hard-boiled egg whites, and chopped onions. Lower-grade varieties of caviar are used as stuffing in many seafood and meat dishes. Caviar is often added to salads as well.

References

External links

World Sturgeon Conservation SocietyOsetra Caviar
{{Roe Roe Iranian cuisine Russian cuisine