All of us know that caviar is a pretty expensive product. But such a high price is due to diverse reasons, such as difficult production and the long time it takes. The price is also influenced by caviar type, fish age, and harvesting method. Moreover, the region can also influence the price a lot. So, how much is caviar? We will try to clarify it in our guide. Let’s first take a more detailed look at what caviar prices are influenced by.
Caviar price: factors that influence the cost
There are three factors that influence the cost of caviar the most. Those are as follows.
- Harvesting method. As we have mentioned, there are different harvesting methods. Some methods keep fish alive, while others involve killing the fish. The latter is considered much worse, of course. Getting caviar while leaving fish alive is much more difficult, but this process of manufacturing provides the best result and truly high-quality product.
- Fish type. Understandably, it takes time to raise fish in fish farms. Raising sturgeons takes several years, and only after this can gender be identified. This stage may last even longer. Originally, it was in Russia that the first caviar farms appeared during the first half of the 20th century. The caviar comes from fish requiring 7 to 10 years of breeding before harvest. This is one of the reasons why its price is quite high. Today, 90% of caviar comes from livestock farming.
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Keeping conditions. Maintaining fish in perfect condition requires time and significant financial investment. Running water, excellent food, farm location, professionals working on the farm – all of those elements require lots of money. So, such a product cannot be cheap.
Most popular product types
All of us are familiar with the most common fish types: black and red. But it does not mean there are two fish varieties only. Each category is subdivided into several more. Let's take a more detailed look at each.
- We start with black caviar.Beluga, sturgeon, and sevruga produce this product type. It is rather expensive caviar: it will cost you much more than the red counterpart. The color is usually silver-gray or dark. It is the most classic option. The product is characterized by a strong nutty taste, with no intakes of other flavors. It does not resemble red caviar. It is not too salty, which is a plus so that the consumer can fully experience all the minor notes of its flavor. The prices start from $77,50 for a 50g jar.
- Red caviar.Red caviar is usually cheaper than black, so it is often included in people's rations. It is made from salmon fish, including chinook salmon, sockeye, etc. This caviar type is characterized by diversity: caviar obtained from different fish species differs in color, taste, and size. As a rule, this product has a relatively small size and a light orange hue. The prices start from $19.99 for a 100g jar.
