for Label
No matter which country the caviar comes from, the tin must, by law, show certain information: variety, origin, batch number, certification and use-by-date, ingredients. This information is compulsory and appears as an internationally recognisable code.
The name given to the Parisian restaurant opened in 1985 at number 2, rue de la Bastille, by caviar connoisseur Jacques Nebot before joining Kaviari. Today, in our production house, he spruces up some old recipes with a modern edge, like his home made blinis and tasting platter.
In an effort to reduce waste, sturgeon leather is sometimes used in crafting fine leather goods, in particular wristbands for watches.
The word ‘caviar’ is serious business! French law is very specific when it comes to using the appellation. Only sturgeon roe can be referred to as caviar. One should be rather wary of such imaginative names ‘trout caviar’ or even ‘red caviar’ for salmon roe. In France, caviar d’aubergine (roast aubergine dip) is the only vegetable based dish allowed to use the word ‘caviar’ in its name; though, it required a court to recognise the ancestral use of the term throughout history for it to pass. A certain degree of lee- way is granted to the ‘caviar lime’ as it is the vernacular – and much easier – name for Microcitrus australasica. A native Australian citrus fruit, it gets its name from the small shiny pearls that look like caviar that burst with flavour as they are chewed.
Caviar inspired a number of writers throughout the 16th century. The word referring to the rare sturgeon eggs appeared in Rabelais’ Gargantua, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and Cervantes’ Don Quixote. At the time, it spelling varied greatly: cavial, caviat, and cavyair.
While the existence of the Loch Ness monster has not been proven, countless scientists agree that Nessie (Niseag in Celtic) may have been a giant sturgeon. Indeed, tales talk of a creature more than five metres long, with a back partially covered in scales, and a pointy nose. The description appears to fit the bill, especially given that sturgeon tend to occasionally raise their head out of the water – just like Nessie – to scare off any unwanted intruders.
Caviar is said to be an aphrodisiac; this is why a company recently released a ‘Caviar Shot’ – a caviar, ginger, and guarana-based stimulant. In other words, 100% natural Viagra!
Caviar hasn’t always been a luxury item; in fact the exact opposite is probably closer to the truth. In the past, sturgeon were caught for their flesh alone. In France and the USA, sturgeon roe was fed to the chickens or thrown to the pigs! Only in the 17th century, coveted by Tsars in the Royal Court of Russia, did caviar become a true delicacy.