Caviar is the term for the Russian delicacy of sturgeon eggs, or roe. It is a delicacy enjoyed by the rich and powerful, and in Europe it is considered to be the height of all luxuries, above even champagne and truffles.

In the 18th and 19th centuries the consumption of caviar was amongst the passions of high society, it was regarded as a status symbol. It was an honour for a wealthy family to be able to keep serveral pounds of caviar in the house ready for a zakusi (the Russian version of a smorgasbord), just in case any unexpected guests should arrive.

Caviar is of course sill revered today and for the catches which yield a paticularly large grain, millionaires are prepared to pay thousands of pounds for. At the time of the Tsars in Russia, the best caviar was always offered to the ruler first.

The premium placed upon the sturgeon, the only provider of what can truly be called caviar, has practically driven the fish to extinction. The worldwide demand for this very expensive delicacy wiped out the stock very quickly by overfishing, and oil which was discovered in the Caspian Sea wiped out the sturgeons natural habitat. Because of the dwindleing amount of stugeon, this has pushed the price of caviar sky high. The sturgeon was once a common part of the Russian population's diet.

The three types of sturgeon that produce caviar are:

Servruga

This fish can grow up to 200cm and can weigh up to 175 pounds (80kg). It is mainly found in the Caspian and Black Seas. This sturgeon produces the caviar with the smallest grains.

Osetra

The Osetra can grow up to 550cm and can weigh up to 44 pounds (200 kg).

Beluga

This is the giant amongst sturgeon, it can grow up to 900cm and weigh up to 3300 pounds (1500kg). Beluga caviar has the largest grains and the roe can account for 15% of the sturgeon's bodyweight.

As soon as the sturgeon is caught, caviar is processed immediately on board specially equipped ships. They are very different to any other kind of ship as they have absolute cleanliness and are said to resemble floating operating theaters.

The roe is removed from the sturgeon and an expert then determines how the caviar will be sold by grading the condition of the grains.

Fresh Caviar

This is practically untreated and must be consumed within a few days.

Malossol

In Russian this word means lightly salted. It isn't an indication of a type of caviar, but rather a mark of quality. When stored correctly at 0C / 32F, it will keep for a year.

Pasteurised Caviar

This is heated and placed into airtight jars. If unopened it would virtually last forever.

Pressed Caviar

Roe which is damaged and of a lesser value is more heavily salted and made into bricks. Pressed caviar is less expensive but has a very intense caviar taste.

The process of salting only takes 10 minutes and is carried out by hand. The caviar is spread out on a flat surface and rubbed with en exact measured amount of salt. This makes the grains of the roe become firm, but not hard. After this process, the caviar is then pit into large cans, which carry the number of the fish. The roe of different sturgeon's are never mixed together. The cans are then placed in special storerooms on the ship and the caviar is then put into smaller cans and dispatched once returned to shore.

Caviar requires a constant storage temperature of 0C / 32F. Frost destroys the cell structure of the roe and when kept at too warm a temperature, the caviar spoils.

Originally, Caviar was the principle food for fishermen of the Caspian Sea, they claimed that it gave them longevity. They would eat their caviar on slices of potato that had been boiled in their skins and peeled.

Today caviar is mainly eaten with a spoon straight from the can. Metal or silver spoons should never be used as they can affect the taste of the caviar. Spoons made of mother of pearl, horn or plastic are most suitable.

In wealthy society, caviar is served at the finest tables in crystal bowls surrounded by a silver container housing ice cubes. It can also be served by placing the can direcly onto a block of ice on the table.

A popular acompaniment to caviar is the blini, a wafer think buckwheat pancake. Blini's are very popular in Russia and are considered to represent the end of winter and the welcoming of the beginning of spring. This is why they are sometimes referred to as small suns. Sour cream is often served too. It is spooned onto the blini before the caviar.

The Caspian Sea fishermen may have had a point about caviar giving them longevity. It contains the vitamins: A, C, D, B2, B12, B44, as well as leicithin and trace elements.

Caviar is still enjoyed today by the rich and powerful, though there are many cheaper alternatives. Various other fish roes can be enjoyed in the same way as caviar can be eaten, though obviously, none can be compared to the sturgeon roe, and this is why it is so very expensive and unabtainable for the majority of people. Only the roe of the Russian sturgeon can ever be called caviar alone, all other roes must be labelled with the type of fish that it came from and the type of caviar that it is.

Other alternatives are:

• Lumpfish caviar
• Paddlefish caviar
• Whitefish caviar
• Salmon or red caviar
• Carp caviar - also known as Tarama
• Trout caviar

• 25g yeast
• teaspoon of sugar
• pinch of salt
• 300g wheat flour
• 75g buckwheat flour
• 500ml lukewarm water
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons sour cream

1. Dissolve the yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar in the lukewarm water.
2. Mix in 2-3 tablespoons of the wheat flour.
3. Put to one side for 15 minutes until it has risen.
4. Mix the rest of the wheat flour and two thirds of the buckwheat flour in a bowl.
5. Make a hollow in the center of the flour.
6. Place half the milk and the risen dough set aside into the flour.
7. Knead together until the dough is smooth.
8. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave the dough to rise for 3 hours in a warm draft free place.
9. Knead the dough thoroughly and work in the remaining buckwheat flour.
10. Leave to rise for a further 2 hours.
11. Knead again and gradually add in the rest of the milk.
12. Seperate the three eggs into yolks and whites.
13. Add the egg yolks, the melted butter, sour cream, as well as a pinch of salt and sugar to the dough and mix.
14. Beat the eggs whites until they are stiff.
15. Add the eggs whites to the dough and knead in.
16. Leave the dough a further 30 minutes to fully rise.
17. Cook the pancakes on a medium-high heat in a frying pan, brushing both sides with melted butter as they are cooking.
18. Cook until golden brown and serve with caviar on top.