Interested in Caviar? Enjoy some fun facts about our roe. From Ancient Persia to Modern day Hong Kong, Caviar's worldwide history is truly nomadic.

Caviar can be dated back as far as the 4th century, with Aristotle referencing a banquet at which lavish servings of the delicacy were enjoyed to the fanfare of trumpets.


The word caviar has its root from the Persian “khav-ya”, which translates to “cake of power”. It is fitting that in preparation for battle, their warriors would eat huge amounts of caviar to boost their strength!


Throughout history, caviar has been consumed in far higher quantities. Doctors would even prescribe caviar to alleviate depression and anxiety. They might have been on to something as recent studies have shown that caviar’s high Omega 3 content can help with depression and symptoms of bipolar disorder.


Caviar was once considered a bar snack!

During the early nineteenth century, Sturgeon was so abundant in America that caviar was served for free at saloons. Landlords benefitted from the increase in drink sales due to caviar's salty taste.


The caviar boom of the early 1900s had some interesting practices. Caviar produced in the USA would be shipped to Europe, repackaged, and labelled as “Russian” and shipped back over to be sold for a vastly inflated price.


In 12th century Russia, caviar was in such abundance that it was seen as a food for the masses. In the Soviet film “Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future” this is portrayed in parody with a scene depicting the Tsar holding imported eggplant caviar up as a delicacy while the commoners have to make do with mountains of black caviar!


English King, Edward II, declared sturgeon to be a “Royal Fish” in 1324. This meant that only those lucky enough to be in the royal court were able to eat caviar. This tradition still lives on to this day, as all sturgeon found in the foreshore of the United Kingdom are decreed as the property of the sitting monarch!


In 1983 after years of research and debating by Iranian clerics, Ayatollah Khomeini deemed sturgeon “a fish with scales” permitting caviar to be classified as Halal. This allowed Iran to continue its long tradition of caviar production.


Sturgeon have an average lifespan of 50-60 years, but some can reach 100!

The largest Sturgeon ever to be caught in Russian waters weighed over 1.5 tons and produced over 200kg of black caviar.