Crystal Clear spring water from Mount Herman and the finest selection of many generations of pure Russian Sturgeon go into making Karat Caviar, a recently introduced aquacultured Osetra caviar from Israel that took 16 years to develop, with incredibly delicious results. Karat uses the same Russian Sturgeon species (Acipenser Gueldenstaedtii) found in the famed Caspian Sea, raised in the most natural settings under pristine conditions to produce an imperial grade product usually associated only with increasingly scarce wild sturgeon.

Karat Caviar is produced by Caviar Galilee, one of the longest running fish farms in Israel, which has been involved in aquaculture since 1939. The Caviar Galilee Farm began growing Russian Sturgeon in 1992, when the first fertilized eggs were imported directly from Russia. The Farm is located in close proximity to the main source of the Jordan River – the Dan Springs, which flow with crystal clear snow waters from the peaks of Mount Hermon. The natural flow of water which gravitates through the Farm enables fish breeding in water that is clear, pure and rich in oxygen.

The Russian Osetra is produced from ten to eleven year-old fish. During the production process, the caviar is produced separately from each single fish and is then packed separately ensuring the product's purity, without mixing caviar from different fish. Freshness, consistent high quality, large pearl size, fine taste and texture and sustainability are the watchwords of Karat, which aims to put the rest of the farmed caviar trade to shame. Karat's exclusive 100% pure Russian Osetra is now available at Dean & DeLuca under the Galilee label, as well as at Zabar's and Whole Foods in the Southeast.

University of Georgia Bulldogs fans have a new snack to take to tailgate parties. The school has created a new caviar that he hopes will soon become associated with the state. Doug Peterson, associate professor of fisheries and aquaculture at UGA says that Georgia ought to be called the sturgeon state because it has as many as four species of sturgeon that are native to Georgia. He has developed a cost-effective and ecologically sustainable method to farm Siberian sturgeon that can protect the wild sturgeon population while creating a new agricultural commodity.

Caviar is mostly taken from wild sturgeon but Peterson wants to flip the script so that the bulk of caviar comes from farmed fish. The caviar will be sold by Inland Seafood of Atlanta in containers that bear the UGA Athletics Association logo with a slogan that says "They have Gatorade... we have caviar." referring to rival University of Florida's signature drink. It will sell for $58 for 30 grams.

[via Atlanta Journal-Constitution]

When it comes to caviar you traditionally have a choice between the incredibly expensive and increasingly scarce wild variety from the Caspian Sea, the farm-raised variety produced with varying degrees of success around the globe, and a host of sub-par imitation or substitute options. Black River Caviar from Uruguay has ushered in a newer contender that aims to fit in somewhere between the first two and be the best of both worlds, dubbed "wild-raised." The process involves replicating the sturgeon's natural habitat as closely as possible.

Black River Ossetra Malossol Caviar is produced from Siberian sturgeon, originally imported as fertilized roe from Russia in 1995. The sturgeon are fed an all-natural, organic feed. Black River's facilities are harmoniously adapted to the environment and best utilize the pristine natural habitat that is Uruguay's Rio Negro. Unlike most farm-raised systems, which involve recirculated water requiring treatment with filters and chemical products, Black River uses millions of gallons of fresh water.

The system involves a fresh water lake whose environment corresponds very closely to that of the lake-like Caspian Sea with its slow and natural water streams, as well as a "raceways" system, which is a perfect simulation of the river delta and its requisite rapids. The volume of water running through the system guarantees a totally unspoiled environment in which the water is naturally oxygenated when flowing through a cascade system, simulating the female fishes' natural journey up the river.

The continuous exercise the sturgeon get in this environment from constantly swimming against the fresh water streams allows them to grow and mature in a fashion which ensures a quality akin to their wild counterparts. After harvesting, Black River's Russian Caviar Master uses the malossol, or "little salt" method, to enhance flavor of the finished product. The delectable large grain caviar (above), has a fresh, clean, nutty taste, and creamy texture. Ice cold vodka is the perfect accompaniment, but champagne works well too.

At the Barceló La Bobadilla Hotel in Loja, Andalusia Spain you can have one of the most unique experiences I've ever seen offered by a hotel. The hotel offers guests a chance to learn how caviar is made. The experience begins at the sturgeon farm at nearby Riofrio where guests are given a guided tour of the farm. They can then take part in an optional ultrasound in the water to check the maturity of the roe. Once the fish is chosen it is then taken to the lab for processing. The package sounds like it offers more of a chance to observe the process than participate in the messy, smelly hands-on fish wrangling. Guests will receive the caviar sent to them three or four months later after it matures.

The Barceló La Bobadilla is a luxury hotel on an estate with forests of evergreen oaks, almond trees, and olive trees. The hotel is a replica of an Arab village, with a chapel, courtyards and a marble colonnade. There are 62 rooms , most with a separate living room and Jacuzzi. The hotel's five-star La Finca Restaurant serves gourmet national and international cuisine. The hotel has indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, saunas, a fitness center, beauty salon and the chapel includes a mechanical organ containing 1,595 pipes.

In 2008, it looks the ongoing battles for caviar will be heating up. The fight for the Caspian Sea is starting to get more contentious. In the past, we've mentioned the concerns over the sea and the sturgeon in the sea which are the world's biggest source of caviar. On Monday, Iran firmed up their demand for a share of around 20 percent of the Caspian Sea. There are five Caspian sea states, Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. In October, at a summit in Tehran, the five states pledged to work out an agreement to divide the sea but have not agreed on the boundaries yet. Iran's coast is less than 14% of the sea but they think the sea's resources should be divided into five equal portions. The sea is also a source of oil reserves. In terms of caviar the question isn't just access to the sturgeon but also how much caviar, if any, should be harvested. The sturgeon, which can live to over 100 years but mature slowly, are being fished out of existence.

Meanwhile, the black market in caviar continues apace, especially in Russia where the growing ranks of big spenders have an increasing demand for the delicacy. This occurs just as depleted sturgeon stocks have led to bans on caviar. In Russia recently a large crime ring that dealt in illegal caviar was busted. An article in the Independent asserts that most of the caviar sold in Moscow is illegal. The article also states that even the poachers on the Caspian Sea are having trouble making a living.

It is certain that the world of caviar will have to change simply because the Caspian Sea is being fished out. This also represents an opportunity for growing caviar industries in other parts of the world. We've seen a variety of different caviar options arise over the past few years (Check a list of some beluga alternatives i wrote about in 2006) ranging from sturgeon farms in California to paddlefish, trout or salmon roe and even caviar made from seaweed.

The tug of war between the desire to protect the sturgeon population and the booming caviar business gets a little more interesting with a declaration from Russia's first Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov. Ivanov, a potential contender to succeed President Vladimir Putin in 2008 has said that he believes that black caviar might have to be taken off the menu for a while to let sturgeon stocks recover. Reuters quotes him as saying that the move could help "repair our national wealth in this time after we so rapaciously annihilated it." Ivanov has said he could survive without caviar. In the past, Russian agriculture officials have asked Putin to declare a state monopoly on the export of black caviar from Russia.

2006 was the year of the caviar ban in the Caspian Sea. During that time we saw the rise of American caviar including the veneration of the paddlefish as the new future of caviar. We even compiled a list for how to survive without Caspian caviar. Now the UN has lifted the caviar ban, publishing quotas for five countries -- Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan. A decision of beluga, the most expensive variety, has been delayed. The sturgeon is still in peril but the countries are allowed to sell 96 tons of caviar in 2007 which is just 15 percent below the 2005 level. It's great news for caviar junkies and for the countries bordering the Caspian Sea but it is most likely depressing news for the American and European caviar producers who have enjoyed the increased attention and business over the past year.

CNN's FSB magazine compiled a panel of two caviar experts - Ricky Estrellado, executive chef Nobu New York and Jean-Luc Kieffer, chef at NY's Picnic - and one "civilian" - their editorial director, Brian Dumaine - to taste test some farmed caviar to see how they stood up to beluga from the overfished sturgeon of the Caspian and Black Seas. Three of the tested caviars were American and one was French. Eggs from an American river sturgeon found in the Midwest were disliked by everyone and opinions were mixed on white sturgeon roe from California and the baeri Siberian sturgeon from France. They all loved the caviar from the wild American Paddlefish, though. And at only $20 an ounce, it's definitely an indulgence that won't break the bank.

Good news for caviar lovers. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has given Iran approval to export caviar from wild sturgeon again. Other Caspian Sea nations are still out of luck. CITES approved exports of up 44,370 kilograms (around 97,000 pounds) of caviar from Iran provided that the eggs cover from Persian caviar, the only species which is not in dire straits. Beluga sturgeon is still banned. Other Caspian Sea nations including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan failed to produce sustainable quota proposals before a meeting deadline and so they will likely remain under a ban for the rest of the year.

To get fresher caviar you would have to catch the fish yourself. Caviar House & Prunier offers 48-hour caviar that is available within two days of being caught and processed. The caviar is less salty than traditional caviar and comes from Siberian sturgeons transplanted to the Gironde River in France. According to the LA Times Postcards from Paris blog, 50 grams will run you around $200 at the Caviar House & Prunier restaurant in Paris.

As we have mentioned, caviar harvested from wild sturgeon has been banned. Those who wish to get into caviar production are starting to create caviar farms. But what sort of place is large enough to hold 400 Siberian sturgeon? How about an old sewage plant? Ananova reports that a former sewage plant near Zurich,Switzerland will be home to a new fish farm. The plant has been cleaned and the fish eggs won't be ready for harvesting for eight years by which time the stink should have faded.

A few months ago the United States banned beluga caviar now the New Scientist reports that the worldwide trade in wild caviar has banned. The major caviar-producing countries were unable to prove to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) that their stocks of wild sturgeon are sustainable. The ban does not apply to farmed sturgeon. A 30% decline in wild sturgeon stocks in 2004 led to the ban which will affect Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia-Montenegro and Ukraine.The hope is that a ban on caviar will help save the endangered fish and stop illegal poaching. Countries that want to export sturgeon products have to show that their catch and export quotas don't put fish in peril. Importers are responsible for making sure their imports are legal and have to have registration systems for processing and repackaging caviar.