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Depending on who you ask, caviar is defined as the roe (eggs) of specific types of sturgeon, or as the roe of most any fish. Purists insist that only Beluga Sturgeon, Osetra (or Asetra or Ossetra) Sturgeon, and Sevruga Sturgeon produce true caviar. Certainly, these fish are the source for the most expensive and rare caviar. But many companies sell caviar harvested from a variety of fish, although they usually either specify the fish (as in "Salmon caviar") or call the final product "American" or "domestic" caviar. Sturgeon evolved some 250 million years
ago, and they retain many prehistoric characteristics, such as bony plates on their skin and long, toothless snouts. There are about 50 species of sturgeon, and the Beluga, Osetra, and Sevruga are all found in the Caspian Sea. Russia borders this sea and has traditionally been the main source of fine caviar. Some of the largest caviar fisheries in Russia are 200 years old. Beluga Sturgeon is the largest of the three caviar species, and Beluga caviar has a mild, delicate flavor with a blue-gray color. Osetra is a smaller fish with small-grained eggs that are nutty in flavor with a golden yellow color. Sevruga is the smallest of
the three, with eggs that are strongly flavored and reddish or dark colored. The fish eggs most commonly used in "domestic caviar" are Atlantic Sturgeon, White Sturgeon, Hackleback Sturgeon, Paddlefish, Bowfin Fish, Golden White Fish, Salmon, and Trout. Atlantic Sturgeon and Paddlefish caviar are said to resemble Sevruga caviar. Other varieties have distinct flavors, such as Hackeback caviar, which has a sweet and nutty taste. Bowfin caviar is also known by its Cajun name of "Choupique" and is found in many Cajun recipes.
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