Red and black caviar are popular and expensive Russian delicacies. Therefore, there is always a risk that the treasured jar will contain a low-quality product. They imitate not only salmon and sturgeon caviar, but also halibut, pike and chum salmon. It is quite easy to distinguish red or black natural caviar from fake caviar; you just need to know a few simple rules.
How to fake caviar
The main material for creating the imitation is seaweed. They are used to make jelly and then form eggs. The preparation is mixed with food coloring and sturgeon fat, giving the caviar the desired color and aroma.
There is another way to fake caviar - banal dyeing. Do you remember in the TV series “Kitchen” that chef Dmitry Barinov mixed pike caviar with black food coloring and passed it off as an expensive delicacy?
How to check if caviar is real?
Most often, fake seafood is sold by weight. The eggs should be the same size and color. A good indicator is the absence of plaque, mucus, films and blood clots. Crush a few eggs: real ones will burst, fake ones will spread.
There is another simple way - put some caviar in a glass of boiling water. The simulated caviar will dissolve. If the caviar is real, the water will turn white.
Black caviar is most often imitated by dyeing. To distinguish real black caviar from fake, place it in water. If the liquid changes color, it is a fake.
To increase weight, the manufacturer can add fake caviar to a jar of real caviar. Therefore, you need to make sure that the nuclei are visible through the transparent walls of the eggs. If there is a lot of liquid in the jar, then perhaps the manufacturer was trying to increase the weight of the caviar by adding vegetable oil.
How to check if red caviar is real without opening the package? The lid must be marked on the inside, indicating the time of manufacture, storage conditions and expiration date. The best product is considered to be one that contains only caviar and salt. The shelf life of the product in this case should not exceed 4 months.
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The cost of caviar is not small and there is absolutely no desire to buy fake caviar under the guise of being natural. In this topic, I will show you how to distinguish real caviar from fake in several ways.
Food technologies do not stand still, and if previously it was possible to easily distinguish natural caviar from a fake, now this has become very difficult by the appearance of caviar and its taste. Look at the photo below. Can you tell which caviar is real and which is fake? To be honest, I would say that both caviar are natural. And the shape matches, the color, and the eyes are there... But in fact, one of them is fake.
To make the experiment pure, 4 types of caviar were specially purchased. One of them is natural. Three types of caviar are imitation, and official, as indicated on the packaging.
Detailed information about each type of caviar.
1. Natural caviar - granular salmon caviar.
This is pink salmon caviar, made from frozen raw materials.
2. Imitation red caviar made from fish oil.
3. Imitation red caviar made from seaweed and fish broth, TM Sea Planet.
4. Imitated red caviar, made from seaweed and fish broth, TM Mystery of the Ocean.
The cost of these types of caviar is shown on the receipt below (I will attach a photo a little later).
To make it easier to compare caviar, open the packages and place the caviar on a plate.
Everyone knows that real eggs are spherical in shape and consist of a thin translucent shell, a semi-liquid yolk mass and an embryonic nucleus-eye. Will this help us determine the authenticity of the caviar?
Many people advise identifying caviar by color, size and shape of the grains. I think this is very ambiguous. The color of real caviar can vary quite widely, from yellow to almost burgundy. Selecting the right dye for a fake for such a wide color range is not difficult.
A little education:
The color of caviar varies from species to species. Salmon caviar is commonly called “red caviar”. Its color is due to the presence of lipochromes, which are dissolved in fat droplets and give it an orange-red color.
Red caviar is prepared from grain caviar of Pacific salmon fish - chum salmon, pink salmon, masu salmon, trout, and less often - from grain of sockeye salmon, coho salmon and chinook salmon. The appearance and taste of caviar from different types of fish can vary greatly.
Most often on sale pink salmon caviar - this fish is the most prolific among salmon, the eggs have a universal taste, which is why consumers like it. Pink salmon caviar is about 5 mm in diameter, with a fragile shell, orange or light orange in color.
Chum salmon caviar
the largest, its diameter can reach 5-7 mm (sometimes even 9 mm). Large eggs have a regular spherical shape, a bright amber-orange color, a clearly visible fatty spot-embryo and a fairly dense shell. Due to its presentable appearance, this caviar is often used to decorate dishes.
Egg diameter Chinook salmon
5-7 mm - this type of fish also produces large caviar.
The eggs have the brightest dark red color, close to burgundy. sockeye salmon . Sockeye salmon caviar is smaller than pink salmon, about 3-4 mm in diameter. The product is rarely found on sale due to the massive extermination of sockeye salmon.
Caviar coho salmon
small, 3-4 mm, and also has a burgundy tint. The product tastes slightly bitter.
The smallest caviar - only 2-3 mm in diameter - is found in trout. Its color varies from yellow to bright orange.
Considering that our store shelves most often contain pink salmon caviar, it is possible to analyze caviar by color and size, but this is very conditional.
There is an opinion that fake caviar has balls of the correct shape and the same size, while natural caviar is more “variegated”. This statement is not true. Natural caviar good quality can also be homogeneous. Also, do not try to look for “spouts” on the eggs in fake caviar; they are not always found in fake eggs. You can make unnatural caviar in a perfectly spherical shape.
In order to determine whether the caviar is real or not, it is often advised to look for embryos, the so-called eyes, in the eggs; this also does not always work; we have learned to fake this too. I will show you the “eyes” in fake (imitated) caviar below. They are almost the same as in natural caviar.
There is a lot of advice out there about tactile testing. You need to crush the egg and determine whether it is real or not based on the density of its shell. This is not entirely correct, because the density of the shell depends on the type of fish, the degree of maturity of the caviar, its shelf life, the processing method (there are many types of caviar, I will not go into details) and other parameters. Caviar made from frozen raw materials, as well as overripe caviar, will have a softer shell.
It is also difficult to distinguish caviar by taste. Fake caviar is supplemented with fish oil, algae extracts, and various flavorings, so you can’t tell it from the real thing.
Let's look at a comparison of what natural and simulated caviar looks like.
1. Natural caviar
The caviar is not completely transparent; it floats in a slightly cloudy liquid. Perhaps this is a result of the fact that the caviar is obtained from frozen raw materials. The eggs have eyes. They are visible in the form of crushed droplets of fat that float under the shell. The eggs are not quite the correct shape and they differ slightly in size.
2. Imitation caviar made from fish oil.
In color, shape, size - this caviar is an exact copy of natural caviar. She even has "eyes". It is also almost impossible to distinguish it by taste. Unless you try one jar at a time, then the other, then you can catch the difference.
The only slight difference is that the eyes in the simulated caviar are kept as one-piece droplets, while in the natural ones they are crushed. But I think that this is not an indicator. The fragmentation of the droplets is most likely the result of freezing of the raw materials. It’s not a fact that it will be the same in a fresh one.
Another point that you should pay attention to: if the caviar lies on the plate for a long time, but a puddle of liquid forms around the natural mound, the area under the simulated caviar remains dry.
I noticed this after fiddling with caviar for a couple of hours.
But there is no way to visually distinguish such caviar right off the bat!
See for yourself: on the left is natural caviar, on the right is imitation.
3. and 4. Imitated red caviar made from seaweed and fish broth.
The caviar of the two brands purchased is no different from each other. Unless the second one has slightly damaged grains.
These balls are more yellow in color than natural caviar. The photo below shows a comparison.
To the touch, the eggs are more rigid, springy, as if completely gelatinous. It is quite difficult to crush them because they slip through your fingers. The eggs have no eyes.
And the taste of this caviar differs from the first two types, it has a characteristic taste that is difficult to describe. It sticks together in a heap, as if glued together with a gelatin binder.
Hence the conclusion. It is very easy to distinguish caviar made from seaweed from the real thing. But caviar, which is made from fish oil, is almost impossible to distinguish.
This is such a sad picture)
But there is still a method that will certainly tell you whether the caviar in front of you is real or fake. The secret lies in the chemical composition of caviar. What does natural caviar contain?
Depending on the type of fish, the area where it was caught, the maturity of the caviar, etc., natural caviar contains from 14 to 31% protein, from 0.3 to 15% fat and 1.5-2% minerals. Caviar fat contains biologically active substances, which include phospholipids, lipoproteins, vitamins, enzymes, lipids, cholesterol and lecithin, as well as vitamins A, D, B1, B2, B6, B9, PP, etc.
In this chemical composition, we are interested in the presence of protein: real caviar contains fat and protein, fake caviar also contains fat, but there is no or very little protein.
Look at the composition of caviar, which is indicated on the packages. Imitated caviar contains only 1-2 g of protein per 100 g of product (1-2%).
Natural caviar contains 31 g of protein.
It is the determination of protein that will serve us as the qualitative reaction that will allow us to distinguish a real product from a fake.
It is known that under the influence of temperature, a protein denatures, that is, its structure is destroyed and this is visible visually. For example, everyone knows what happens to egg white, if you heat it up, it turns white.
Dip a spoon into the egg white and then into hot water. A white coating is visible on the spoon.
The same thing will happen with the protein found in caviar. If the caviar is real, it will turn white when heated. There is protein in the liquid in which the eggs are located, you can check it. You can also crush a couple of eggs and analyze their composition.
If the caviar is not natural, then there is no protein in it and naturally there will be no white coating.
Dip a spoon, greased with each type of caviar, into the boiling water that has just been poured into the plate.
That's what this protein test tells us.
1. Natural caviar:
The water has become cloudy, and white flakes float in it abundantly. A thick white coating formed on the spoon.
2. Simulated caviar based on fish oil
There is no plaque on the spoon, no flakes have formed in the water and no cloudiness is observed. Droplets of fat float on the surface of the water.
3. and 4. Imitated caviar based on seaweed.
Two types of this caviar give absolutely the same result. There is no plaque, the water is clear, only droplets of fat float. The caviar did not dissolve in water. Sometimes they write about this during tests, but I didn’t notice any dissolution.
A similar test can be done by throwing caviar into a glass of hot water. The water will turn whitish and the caviar will partially turn white. But it seems to me that the experiment with a spoon is more revealing.
This is what water looks like after real caviar. If it is fake, it will remain transparent, with droplets of fat floating in it. It is also possible to color the water with caviar dye.
This test can be done at home when you have already bought caviar. But what to do if you need to choose caviar in a store, at a market, where there is no boiling water at hand. Here an oxidizing agent will come to your aid, which also leads to protein denaturation. It is available in every pharmacy - it is hydrogen peroxide. We add peroxide to the caviar and you can immediately see whether the caviar is real or not. If the caviar is real, then in reaction with an oxidizing agent, which is hydrogen peroxide, it gives white flakes of denatured protein.
If the caviar is fake (it is caviar made from fish oil), then there are no abundant white flakes, only slight cloudiness is visible.
Seaweed caviar does not give any visible reaction at all.
If you don’t have peroxide with you, and there’s no hot water at hand, and you just need to buy caviar urgently, don’t worry, a regular lighter or matches will come to your aid. Any heating leads to the destruction of protein. Just heat the caviar over the fire. If there is protein there, it will turn white.
I will do this in a spoon; if you don’t have one at hand, you can heat it on any metal object, for example, a 5-kopeck coin, dip it in caviar and place it on the edge of the table for heating. Just don't burn your hands.
This is the picture we get - on the leftmost spoon you can see a white dense layer of protein, this is a sign of natural caviar. On the other two spoons, where there was imitation caviar No. 2 and No. 3, there is only a slight whitish film of fat and dry substances contained in the caviar.
So far they haven’t learned how to fake protein caviar, so this method works one hundred percent.
I assume that craftsmen will watch this video and begin adding substances of a protein nature to caviar, well, then we’ll come up with another way to protect ourselves from counterfeiting.
The process of testing caviar on video:
Delicious real caviar to you! Don't be fooled!
Thank you for your attention!
The question of how to choose the right red caviar is very relevant before the New Year holidays. Well, it's time to figure it out!
Red caviar is obtained from salmon fish(chum salmon, pink salmon, trout, coho salmon, sockeye salmon). The product is rich in vitamins A, D and E, easily digestible proteins (up to 32% of the composition), phosphorus, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Also contains: iodine, calcium, potassium and iron, folic acid and other nutrients necessary for immunity, youth and strength. A small amount is enough!
Doctors consider red caviar to be the most valuable food product. The main thing is to know which red caviar is best to choose and how to recognize a fake. It is very important. After all, instead of a royal delicacy, you can buy an imitation. For the same money...
So, how to choose high-quality red caviar? Let's look at all the nuances.
We study the information on the packaging
Correct name: “Granular salmon caviar.” Classification and characteristics according to GOST 18173-2004.
Granular caviar is made from raw caviar of Pacific (Far Eastern) salmon fish: pink salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon, and sockeye salmon. In production, the raw material is treated with a solution table salt followed by the addition of preservatives (or without them).
Caviar comes in first and second grade.
Varieties of red caviar
| Index | Standard for variety | |
| Red caviar 1st grade | Red caviar 2nd grade | |
| Appearance | Caviar of one type of fish. The eggs are clean, whole, uniform in color, without films or blood clots. | |
| — a small number of shells (lopanza) is allowed | — presence of shells; | |
| — color heterogeneity; | ||
| - slight sediment. | ||
| Consistency | The eggs are elastic, with a slightly damp or dry surface, they separate well and do not stick. | |
| - may be more moist, slightly less elastic; | ||
| - may be slightly viscous. | ||
| Smell | Characteristic of the product of this type, without foreign odors. | |
| Mass fraction of salt, % | 4 – 6 | 4 – 7 |
| Taste | Characteristic of the product, without any foreign taste. A slight taste of bitterness (for sockeye salmon and coho salmon caviar) and pungency is allowed. | |
Composition of red caviar (read on the packaging)
There should be three rows of signs on the cover:
- date of manufacture;
- assortment mark "ICRA";
- plant number with shift number and fishing industry index “P”
The numbers on a can of high-quality caviar are pressed from the inside or applied with a laser with indelible paint. Dented on the outside, smeared - a sign of a fake!
- Ingredients: caviar, salt and preservatives. As a rule, one cannot do without them. Acceptable use sorbic acid(E200) or sodium benzoate (E211).
- If the composition contains E239 (urotropine), you cannot buy the product - it is a dangerous preservative.
Where and when is caviar packaged?
It is best if the caviar was packaged near the place of its extraction and production: Far East, Russian Federation (Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Kuril Islands). According to GOST, no more than a month should pass between catching and getting into the jar.
- When is the caviar packaged?
- Salmon spawning occurs from July to September. High-quality products are harvested during these months.
Caviar of pink salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon, sockeye salmon, trout
- Pink salmon caviar. The size of the eggs is 5 mm. Color – from light orange to orange. This caviar is the most common.
- Chum salmon caviar. The eggs are larger – 5 – 7 mm. Color – amber-orange. The eggs have an even, round shape, with a clearly visible spot-embryo. This is the fattest of all types of caviar.
- Coho salmon caviar. Considered the most useful. The size of the eggs is small - about 3 mm. Color – bright orange. The taste has a slightly bitter tint, so this caviar is not the most popular.
- Sockeye salmon caviar. Size – 3 – 4 mm. Quite expensive caviar, not often found on the Russian market. Color – dark red. There is a pronounced fishy taste.
- Chinook caviar. The eggs are large – 6 – 7 mm. Color – rich red. The taste is specific - bitter, slightly spicy. A very rare product.
- Trout caviar. Small caviar – 2 – 3 mm. Color - from yellow to bright orange. Pronounced salty taste.
Which caviar to choose is up to you. If the product is quality, you won't be disappointed either way.
Signs of good caviar
- Appearance of eggs should be suitable for purchase: they should be smooth, elastic, free from impurities and sediment, and should separate well. Do not stick to the jar or to each other.
- The egg must have an eye-embryo rich color and stand out.
- The eggs should be firm, but not springy. The surface is slightly damp. When pressed and in the mouth, good caviar bursts easily and does not stick to the teeth.
- The smell should be fishy and moderate. The taste is characteristic of this product, but not too salty or bitter. The color is characteristic of red caviar (too pale indicates that the caviar has lost its beneficial and tasteful properties).
Signs of a fake
It is equally important to know signs of fake. Here they are:
- the word “imitated” is present;
- the price is suspiciously low;
- eggs without an eye-embryo, perfectly round and even;
- there is a strong fishy smell, similar to herring milk;
- caviar is very hard and salty, does not burst in the mouth (it feels like you are chewing gelatin capsules), and sticks to your teeth.
As for artificial caviar, it cannot be called harmful, but its value for the body is also not great. The product is made from protein, gelatin, milk and eggs. There are no vitamins or healthy fatty acids in its composition - it’s definitely not worth buying one at the natural price.
Type of packaging: glass or tin jar, by weight, in plastic containers
How to choose a jar of red caviar? What to prefer: tin, plastic, glass?
- The most expensive caviar is usually sold in a glass jar. She looks presentable. But the main thing is that the product can be clearly seen. Glass is also recognized as the best in terms of hygiene - it does not affect taste in any way.
- Select red caviar in tins more difficult - they are not transparent. We will not be able to assess the quality of the product until we open the jar. You'll have to trust the manufacturer. The jar should not be swollen, rusty, wrinkled, all inscriptions should be legible. When shaking, the contents of the jar should not gurgle.
- Caviar by weight, in plastic containers. Such a product can only be purchased from trusted suppliers and good friends. As a rule, there is no information about the composition and shelf life. An unscrupulous seller may use various additives and even tint the product. Plastic containers are the worst containers - they can be damaged during transportation. Storing caviar in them is also not very correct.
In a word, tin and glass are a priority.
And finally. Store the product in the refrigerator, observing expiration dates. It is better not to keep an open jar for a long time - no more than 5 days. There is also no point in freezing caviar - it will lose not only its taste, but also its beneficial properties. Appearance will also suffer.
Optimal: bought - ate. Be healthy and happy holidays!
Do you like sweet tangerines? Find out how to recognize them
Red caviar - not only exquisite delicacy And delicious treat. It is also a valuable source of vitamins, beneficial microelements and minerals. But this is only the case when it is natural.
Choose your recipe
Instructions
When purchasing, give preference to caviar in a glass jar. It is this container that is the most neutral in chemical composition, and you can see caviar in it.
Pay attention to the lid of the jar. It should not be swollen, and the numbers on it must be stamped from the inside.
If possible, consider caviar. The natural delicacy will consist of eggs of equal size up to 5-6 mm in diameter. Their color will also be identical. Do not buy caviar that is too bright or pale in color. It will probably be a fake. The eggs should be slightly crumbly and burst in the mouth when tasting. The mass of this delicacy should occupy all the space in the container.
An additional guarantee of high quality will be the GOST indicated on the can.
When buying caviar in bulk, ask the seller for a quality certificate, which will contain all the information about the delicacy. Do not ignore the conditions under which caviar is sold. If the counter and the seller are dirty, don't risk your health.
Throw a few eggs into hot water. If they dissolve, the caviar is not natural.
Related article
Sources:
Caviar is a product that we don’t treat ourselves to often. Therefore, it is doubly unpleasant to find low-quality products instead of festive table decorations, and at a decent price, too. How to protect yourself and how to recognize fake caviar?
Instructions
The first thing you need is to carefully examine the jar. It is better to buy caviar in glass. Firstly, you see what you are buying - the size of the caviar, its color and consistency. In addition, glass does not oxidize, and therefore the product is stored better.
note
“Red salmon caviar” is the caviar of salmon fish such as pink salmon, chum salmon, chinook salmon, and sockeye salmon. It varies in color, size and taste, depending on the breed of fish. Pink salmon caviar is the most popular in Russia. Bright orange color, medium-sized grains. Chum salmon caviar is orange-red in color, with the largest grains. Sockeye salmon caviar is a medium-sized, rich red grain.
Helpful advice
It is best not to store red caviar for a long time; you should not leave it for later. As the paraphrased proverb goes: “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can eat today.” In any case, red caviar should be stored in the refrigerator in a glass or enamel container with a tightly closed lid.
Red caviar should be thick, crumbly and consist of eggs of the correct shape and the same size. The eggs should burst on the teeth. Good red caviar should not taste bitter or smell like fat or rancid oil, but should have a faint smell of fresh fish.
Red caviar - salmon caviar - tasty, healthy and nutritious product. It contains a large number of valuable proteins, vitamins, fats. The main method of culinary processing is salting.
Instructions
Add tomato paste to the beets. Mix thoroughly and simmer for another 5-7 minutes with the lid closed. Tomato paste can be served in one glass of juice. In this case, keep the lid open to allow excess liquid to evaporate. Peel and chop the garlic. Add it to caviar.
Video on the topic
Helpful advice
To ensure that beets retain the maximum amount of nutrients, place them in boiling water for cooking.
Beetroot caviar can be served as independent dish or use as a side dish. When serving as a cold appetizer, sprinkle it with fresh herbs.
To add a piquant taste, you can add one teaspoon of mustard and a few chopped walnuts to the caviar.
This recipe can be used to make canned beets. Pack hot caviar into 500 gram jars. Pasteurize for 10 minutes at a temperature of 80-90°C. Seal with tin lids.
Any, even the most modest table will look festive if there is a dish of sandwiches on it that are spread butter and black or red caviar. This fish delicacy today is presented in stores mainly with red caviar, since the cost of black caviar is very high, this is due to the fact that the fish from which it is obtained is on the verge of extinction.
How to get black caviar
Three types of fish are the source of black caviar: stellate sturgeon, sturgeon and beluga. Depending on how it was prepared, it can be pressed, granular or puffed. Pressed is a puree-like mass, slightly dried, granular consists of individual eggs, and yastyk is salted directly in the film - yastyk.The most expensive is caviar, since it is the largest; the size of the eggs can reach 2.5 mm. It must be stored in packages with tight-fitting lids, as it instantly absorbs any foreign odors. The color of beluga caviar is grayish-silver, and the color of the jar lids in which it is sold is always blue.
The shelf life of an open jar of black or red caviar should not exceed 5 days. It must be kept in the refrigerator with the lid tightly closed.
Caviar has a distinct fishy smell and even its size does not exceed 1.5 mm. You can distinguish it by its yellowish or brownish tint; in the store, sturgeon caviar, packaged in Russia, is sold with yellow lids. Sevruga caviar is cheaper than sturgeon; it consists of small eggs up to 1 mm in size and dark gray in color. Jars of sevruga caviar are covered with red lids.
How to get red caviar
For red caviar, which is extracted from red fish, the opposite is true - the one with smaller eggs is of greater value. It can only be grainy. High-quality red caviar is small, dry and not sticky; it should not contain “sludge” - liquid leaked from damaged or burst eggs.Protein in caviar is about 30%; unlike other animal proteins, it is almost completely absorbed in the body. In addition to essential amino acids, vitamins and microelements, it contains Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
The most popular caviar that you can buy in the store is caviar, consisting of large grains of orange-red color. Caviar, which is red in color and has medium-sized grains, is valued slightly higher. Usually, it is more than other types. Chum salmon caviar with large grains is very tasty. Sockeye salmon has the smallest caviar and is not often seen in stores.
How to choose the right caviar
The freshness and quality of caviar can be assessed by its appearance; the eggs should not be stuck together, dry, elastic, and intact. If you buy caviar in a canning shop, pay attention to the lid - it should not be swollen, the batch number and production date should be stamped on the inside of the lid. There is an old way to check the quality of black caviar - place a small amount on a flat surface and lightly blow on it, the eggs should roll out.Pike is a predatory fish beloved by many fishermen, distributed mainly in fresh water bodies of Eurasia and North America. Its length can reach 1.5 m, and its weight can reach 8 kg. Thanks to such decent dimensions, pike is a desirable prey for many fishing enthusiasts. The most successful time for catching predators, according to experienced fishermen, is the pre-spawning period after a long, hungry winter.
When does pike go to spawn?
Pike begins to spawn much earlier than other fish species. Pike living in the southern regions begin to spawn quite early - at the end of February, the spawning period of predators in the middle zone occurs in March. In the northern regions, pike spawn in April. It should also be noted that in closed reservoirs spawning occurs later than in open ones. The fact is that the ice on the lakes begins to melt later than the ice breaks on the rivers, therefore the pike that live in them begin to spawn only after the reservoir is completely free of ice.
The early spawning of pike is also due to the fact that it is in early spring that stagnant water is maximally saturated with oxygen, the high level of which is the most important condition for the normal development of eggs. The gradual heating of the water helps to reduce the level of oxygen, an insufficient amount of which can lead to the death of the offspring. It turns out that the sooner the predator finishes spawning, the more chances the eggs have to survive.
How pike spawns
Spawning of pikes living in natural reservoirs begins in the fourth year of life of predators. This applies to females, while males are able to begin spawning only after reaching the fifth year of life.
Pike spawning occurs not far from the shore, usually within 1 m. When starting to spawn, the fish moves to shallow water and begins to splash actively and noisily. The peculiarity of reproduction in pikes is that small individuals begin spawning first, and only after them larger males and females.
Before spawning, pike, unlike most fish species, do not gather in large schools, but form small groups that include several individuals. If the female is small, she is surrounded by 2-4 males, but if she is large, the number of male fish around her can reach 8.
During spawning, males belonging to the same group, as a rule, swim next to or above the female, moving away from the predator by only a few centimeters. The fins of males periodically appear above the surface of the water. The period of spawning in pike is characterized by the constant movement of fish around the spawning ground. At this time, predators do not stay in one place even for a minute. At the end of the reproduction process, all the fish disperse in different directions. At this time, you can see many females jumping out of the water.
During one breeding period, a female pike is capable of laying up to 215 thousand eggs, which attach to aquatic vegetation and reeds, but due to their weak adhesive ability they easily fall off even with the slightest shaking. That is why, within a few days after the end of spawning, all pike eggs end up at the bottom of the reservoir.
Russian people ate red caviar with pancakes. Soviet people used this useful product with white bread spread with butter, in the form of sandwiches. Actually there is traditional way serving caviar.
Tradition and modernity
Red caviar, like black caviar, is served in a small caviar bowl, placed in a bowl filled with ice. The only utensil used is a small caviar spoon. Caviar should be eaten little by little, just a few spoons, to feel its exquisite taste.As for the loaf and butter, these ingredients negate all the usefulness of red caviar. From the point of view of the elements and vitamins that the body receives with red caviar, for better absorption it should be consumed with fresh or boiled vegetables (ideally raw is fine cucumber and boiled potatoes) or egg white. By the way, caviar is one of the most cholesterol-containing foods, unlike fish, which, on the contrary, is recommended to be eaten to prevent atherosclerosis. So you shouldn’t get carried away with caviar, especially if you have high cholesterol.
Methods of serving red caviar
But not everything is useful. Therefore, today there are many ways to serve caviar, intended mainly to decorate the festive table.Nobody canceled traditional pancakes with caviar. You can just put it on ready pancake butter and caviar. You can make a filling of caviar and soft butter or cream cheese with herbs and mayonnaise, spread on a pancake and roll it up. Caviar is also served with pancakes. Eggs are stuffed with caviar. Mostly quail, but small-sized chicken is also acceptable.
You can make a salad with caviar.
Ingredients:
- Red caviar;
- mayonnaise;
– lightly salted red fish (trout or salmon);
- fresh cucumber;
- greenery.
Cucumber and fish are cut into small cubes. Greens - small. Everything is mixed, caviar is added and seasoned with mayonnaise.
Any pastry can be used as a base for caviar. It is good to serve red caviar on profiteroles, toast, tartlets, crackers, chips, in shortbread baskets and custard vol-au-vents. Instead of butter, you can use soft cream cheese (such as mascarpone or Philadelphia). Cucumber, avocado, green peas, lemon, herbs, and pitted olives are used as decoration.
To stuff eggs, the yolk must be mixed with heavy whipping cream and softened butter. Fill the egg halves with this yolk cream base and place the caviar on top.
For stuffing vegetables with caviar, it is best to use baked potatoes. Tubers are baked in foil
Until recently, I stored red caviar in the same containers in which I bought it - iron or plastic jars. Without thinking at all about how to properly store caviar, I simply put it in the refrigerator and took it out as needed. Sometimes the caviar disappeared, and then it was a great pity for the valuable product. When a decent amount of the delicacy once again spoiled, I decided to find out how to properly store caviar and, I must say, I discovered a lot of new things.
How to choose the right caviar
As it turned out, I did not know how not only to store caviar, but also to select it. There are several characteristics of the “right” product, so if you don’t want to run into a fake, artificial caviar or low-quality product, it’s better to follow simple rules when choosing.
1. If you buy caviar in jars, pay attention to the place and date of production. High-quality caviar is packaged in coastal cities, and the jar must be dated August - this is when spawning occurs. Caviar produced in other months has most likely already been frozen.
2. When purchasing caviar by weight, take a good look at it. In the depths of the eggs, small ones should be visible dark spots- fish embryos. If they are not there, then the caviar is artificial. It would be a good idea to try the caviar and evaluate its taste, smell and consistency. A good product should be dry: if the jar is turned over, its contents should not fall out.
3. The taste of caviar largely depends on the breed of fish from which it was obtained. For example, coho salmon caviar, and salmon eggs are too small. If you are not a big connoisseur of caviar, it is better not to experiment and stick to the classic product made from pink salmon.
How to properly store caviar
Now about how to store red caviar. First, I’ll tell you how long you can store caviar in the refrigerator. The shelf life of the product packaged in conventional tin cans is 1 year. However, the delicacy quickly spoils, literally within a week. Therefore, it is advisable to immediately transfer it into a sterilized glass jar, close the lid tightly and put it in the refrigerator. The same should be done with a product purchased by weight.
Ideally, your refrigerator maintains a temperature of -4 to -6 degrees. Caviar can be stored in these for up to six months. If you have an old unit, do not be upset. You can use the following trick. Place more ice cubes in bags in a bowl, place a jar of caviar on them and slide the dishes under the freezer - this is the coldest place in most refrigerators. If you change the ice as it melts, the caviar will be stored for a very long time.
I’ll tell you a little more about how to extend the shelf life of caviar. After you put it in sterile jars, fill the product with any odorless vegetable oil. You can soak a sheet of paper with the same oil and cover the jars with such improvised lids. This will increase the shelf life of caviar by an order of magnitude.
But you shouldn’t store caviar in the freezer. Although this product has been lying there for about two years, after defrosting, most of the eggs will burst or stick together, and there are minimal useful substances left in thawed eggs.
Video on the topic
Red caviar is certainly a healthy product, but it should be chosen correctly. A few simple tips will help you avoid getting low-quality caviar.
Examine the jar
Read carefully what is written on the can. Pay attention to the title. If nothing is indicated besides the inscription “salmon caviar”, then set the jar aside. High-quality caviar always indicates what kind of fish it is made from, for example, chum salmon or pink salmon.
Read the ingredients
Look what caviar is made of. If at least one preservative is found in the composition, we also put it aside. Pay special attention to the presence of E239 (urotropine). IN real caviar it shouldn't exist. If the jar says “pasteurized caviar” and no preservatives were found in its composition, we continue to study the composition.
Don't take artificial delicacy
The composition should not contain any suspicious ingredients, such as milk, gelatin, egg. If something is discovered, then this is artificial caviar. Also, it can be distinguished by its appearance. Unnatural caviar is a very smooth ball, without embryo eyes. Natural caviar bursts easily when pressed and has no pungent odors.
When choosing caviar, pay attention to glass jars. In them you can look at the contents. Please note that there should be no greasy droplets under the glass. The presence of such droplets indicates an excessive content of vegetable oil. Natural eggs are whole and uncrushed balls of approximately the same size.
Do not buy delicacy by weight. No one can guarantee the quality and safety of such caviar. Good luck with your choice and be careful!
The name artificial caviar is easiest - unlike real caviar, it has a jelly-like structure and cannot burst due to the lack of a shell. Also, artificial caviar may smell different from real caviar. Too many flavorings are often added to it, and it acquires a strong fishy smell that the natural product does not have.
What does "fake caviar" mean? How is it faked? Can a lay person spot a fake? What to look for when choosing caviar? We answer these and other questions together with the restaurant’s sous-chef. Japanese cuisine Sumosan Vladislav Kim and the chef of the La Marée fish shop Dmitry Ermakov.
VLADISLAV KIM
Sous Chef at Sumosan Restaurant
Each caviar has its own characteristics. For example, a layman may confuse tobiko (flying fish) caviar with masago (capelin) caviar, since they are similar in appearance. But tobiko is much more expensive than masago, so manufacturers often mix tobiko with masago to make the product cheaper, and at the same time call it tobiko. I don't know how fake this can be. You can distinguish mixed caviar if you look closely: the eggs should be the same size, and tobiko is larger than masago. In addition, tobiko itself is dense caviar, the grains go one to one. It’s more difficult with taste: here, perhaps, only professionals or gourmets can determine.
Red caviar can be just Bad quality. For example, underripe or overripe. It is not faked. In both cases, the shell of the eggs becomes hard, the film bursts, but seems to remain, and the caviar may taste bitter and be over-salted. Good caviar should burst slightly and melt in your mouth.
It is also better to choose red caviar by appearance and smell - these parameters, of course, can only be determined in the case of loose caviar. But weighed caviar there is a drawback: it is risky to take it, because you cannot know exactly who the caviar producer is, and subsequently you will not be able to refer to him.
As for caviar in jars, you can only rely on a trusted manufacturer. But here it must be said that canned caviar itself is considered a lower grade: this is caviar that is canned, and a good product is usually not canned.
We can talk about a real fake in the case of black caviar. This is a very common case: they paint pike caviar with food coloring, since it tastes very similar to sturgeon or beluga (it is the most expensive, twice as expensive as sturgeon). You can identify fake black caviar: in pike caviar, all the eggs are the same size and go one after another. Real black caviar, on the contrary, is not ideal in appearance: all eggs are of different sizes.
DMITRY ERMAKOV
head of the La Maree fish shop
Fake red caviar is not really literally fake: this is caviar of very poor quality, which is salted in a questionable manner, sometimes in unsanitary conditions, and sold frozen in bulk for cheap. In addition, the caviar can be from last year - it is simply washed and salted again. As a result, it will be crumbly, and ideally the eggs should be glued to each other, but at the same time the eggs should not be slimy.
But the main problem with caviar is not even that it is frozen or last year’s, but that it may initially be unripe. As a result, it bursts, since the walls of the eggs are not dense. Such caviar usually costs no more than 270 rubles per 140 grams per tin can. Although there are exceptions: more expensive caviar may be of poor quality. By the way, you can easily get poisoned by it.
It is better to buy caviar in season - usually the end of September and the beginning of October. It’s easier to choose caviar in bulk than in a jar: you can simply go by appearance. But in in this case there are also disadvantages. I would advise you to be very careful when buying loose caviar - usually in this case the manufacturing company is unknown, and if something happens you will not be able to complain to anyone.
Black caviar can be counterfeited by painting pike caviar with black dye. It is difficult for a non-professional to distinguish a fake, since pike caviar is very close in taste to black caviar.
Illustration: Olya Volk
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