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The holidays are about friends, family - and decadence. And, for foodies "decadence" often translates into one singularly luxurious word: caviar.
But with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service banning beluga caviar imports from the Black Sea after taking the same action with the Caspian states, true gourmands with a taste for black pearls have been turning to a rather unusual source: Tennessee.
Yes, you read correctly. Caviar connoisseurs have long known that Tennessee paddlefish roe has often been compared favorably to beluga and sevruga caviars. But Tennessee doesn't have the corner on the American-made market. Paddlefish, also called spoonbills, are harvested for their eggs in Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois and Kentucky.
Roe from those locales might not sound as glamorous and authentic as caviar from Mother Russia, but it should be easier to find - and a heck of a lot easier on your pocketbook. For example, seafood specialty store Wild Edibles is currently charging $20 for a 1 oz. tin of American paddlefish caviar at its Manhattan locations, while 1 oz. of its upscale cousin sevruga comes in at a cool $105 - and beluga can't even be had at the moment.
So, when it comes to holiday delicacy decadence, don't throw caution to the wind - and buy American.
Wild Edibles Locations:
Grand Central Market
Lexington Avenue
at 43rd St.
212.687.4255
Murray Hill
535 Third Avenue
Betw. 35th and 36th Sts.
212.213.8552
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Before you get too excited:
"Paddlefish were once common in the fish assemblage in central U.S. rivers, but populations have declined in many systems. Paddlefish populations have been negatively affected by overharvest, sedimentation, and river modifications. Dams in particular have had an adverse affect on paddlefish because they alter traditional paddlefish habitats and can block spawning migrations and other movements. Paddlefish populations dramatically declined from overfishing after the turn of the last century. Concern for paddlefish stocks has recently risen because the collapse of most sturgeon stocks in the world has fueled increased demand for paddlefish eggs for the lucrative caviar trade."
(from www.umesc.usgs.gov/aquatic/fish/paddlefish/faq.html)
the best caviar is Persian , comparing Tennessee caviar with that is putting a caddilac next to a beetle.
my 20 eurocents.