Caviar

O caviar é um alimento, considerado uma iguaria de luxo, consistindo em ovas de esturjão não-fertilizadas,^[1]^[2] sem qualquer tipo de aditivo, corante ou preservante. As ovas podem ser "frescas" (não-pasteurizadas) ou pasteurizadas, tendo estas um menor valor monetário.^[3]

Tradicionalmente a designação "caviar" é apenas utilizada para as ovas provenientes das espécies selvagens de esturjão, principalmente as do Mar Cáspio e seus afluentes, de acordo com regra da Rússia ou do Irã (caviar Beluga, Ossetra e Sevruga). Estas ovas, consoante a sua qualidade (sabor, tamanho, consistência e cor), atingem preços entre 6.000€ e 12.000€ o quilo, no mercado europeu ocidental, estando associadas a ambientes gourmet e de alta cozinha (haute cuisine).

A designação "caviar" pode igualmente ser utilizada para ovas de outras espécies de esturjão selvagem ou para ovas de esturjões criados em aquacultura (das espécies do Cáspio ou outras).

Hoje, dependendo dos países e das legislações nacionais específicas, a designação "caviar" pode ainda ser utilizada para uma série variada de produtos de baixo preço substitutos ou sucedâneos de caviar, como as ovas de salmão, de truta, de lumpo, etc. Contudo, segundo a FAO, ovas de qualquer espécie que não acipenseriformes (incluindo estes os acipenseridae, ou esturjões stricto sensu, e os polyodontidae, ou peixes-espátula), não são caviar, mas sim "substitutos de caviar".^[4] Esta posição é igualmente adoptada pela CITES,^[5] pelo WWF,^[6] pelos serviços aduaneiros dos Estados Unidos^[7] e pelo Estado francês.^[8] Igualmente a legislação europeia aplicável em Portugal define caviar como "Ovos não fecundados mortos transformados de todas as espécies de Acipenseriformes; igualmente designados por OVAS!!!"^[9]

↑ «21 Coisas para comer antes de morrer». O imperdível da gastronomia. Porta Terra. Consultado em 9 de janeiro de 2017
↑ Houshang Alʿam, "Caviar", in Encyclopædia Iranica em linha.
↑ Como declara Jean-Pierre Esmilaire, Directeur Général da Caviar House & Prunier: "two-thirds of caviar's taste is lost through pasteurisation." (in "Three-star caviar", Caterersearch - The complete information source for hospitality, 01 February 2001). Igualmente, Judith C. Sutton afirma que "pasteurized caviar doesn't taste as good or have the consistency of fresh caviar, and caviar lovers avoid it." (Judith C. Sutton, Champagne & Caviar & Other Delicacies, New York, Balck Dog & Leventhal, 1998, p. 53.)
↑ "Roe coming from a fish other than Acipenseriformes is not caviar, and is often classified as «caviar substitute»." in Catarci, Camillo (2004), "Sturgeons (Acipenseriformes)", in World markets and industry of selected commercially-exploited aquatic species with an international conservation profile, FAO Fisheries Circulars - C990, FAO Corporate Document Repository, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department.
↑ "Caviar: processed roe of Acipenseriformes species." in CITES (2002), "Annex 1 - CITES guidelines for a universal labelling system for the trade in and identification of caviar", in Resolution Conf. 12.7 - Conservation of and trade in sturgeons and paddlefish, Twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, Santiago (Chile), 3-15 November 2002.
↑ "Caviar is made from the unfertilized eggs of female sturgeon and paddlefish, among the oldest and largest species of fish living on earth." in World Wide Fund for Nature, Wildlife Trade - Caviar Trade FAQs.
↑ "The United States of America Custom Service (US Customs & Border Protection, 2004) defines caviar as: Caviar is the eggs or roe of sturgeon preserved with salt. It is prepared by removing the egg masses from freshly caught fish and passing them carefully through a fine-mesh screen to separate the eggs and remove extraneous bits of tissue and fat. At the same time, 4–6 percent salt is added to preserve the eggs and bring out the flavour. Most caviar is produced in Russia and Iran from fish taken from the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azov." in Johannesson, J. (2006), "1. Fish roe products and relevant resources for the industry: Definitions of caviar", Lumpfish caviar – from vessel to consumer, FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 485, Rome, FAO, p.1.
↑ Arrêté du 23 février 2007 (fixant les conditions d'autorisation d'introduction d'esturgeons et la procédure d'autorisation des établissements procédant au conditionnement ou au reconditionnement du caviar à des fins d'exportation, de réexportation ou de commerce intracommunautaire; NOR: DEVN0750874A; Version consolidée au 06 mai 2007), Article 1: "a) Caviar : oeufs non fécondés, traités, des espèces d'acipensériformes dont la liste figure en annexe du présent arrêté;"
↑ REGULAMENTO (CE) n.o 865/2006 DA COMISSÃO de 4 de Maio de 2006,p.54.

[1] «21 Coisas para comer antes de morrer». O imperdível da gastronomia. Porta Terra. Consultado em 9 de janeiro de 2017

[2] Houshang Alʿam, "Caviar", in Encyclopædia Iranica em linha.

[3] Como declara Jean-Pierre Esmilaire, Directeur Général da Caviar House & Prunier: "two-thirds of caviar's taste is lost through pasteurisation." (in "Three-star caviar", Caterersearch - The complete information source for hospitality, 01 February 2001). Igualmente, Judith C. Sutton afirma que "pasteurized caviar doesn't taste as good or have the consistency of fresh caviar, and caviar lovers avoid it." (Judith C. Sutton, Champagne & Caviar & Other Delicacies, New York, Balck Dog & Leventhal, 1998, p. 53.)

[4] "Roe coming from a fish other than Acipenseriformes is not caviar, and is often classified as «caviar substitute»." in Catarci, Camillo (2004), "Sturgeons (Acipenseriformes)", in World markets and industry of selected commercially-exploited aquatic species with an international conservation profile, FAO Fisheries Circulars - C990, FAO Corporate Document Repository, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department.

[5] "Caviar: processed roe of Acipenseriformes species." in CITES (2002), "Annex 1 - CITES guidelines for a universal labelling system for the trade in and identification of caviar", in Resolution Conf. 12.7 - Conservation of and trade in sturgeons and paddlefish, Twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, Santiago (Chile), 3-15 November 2002.

[6] "Caviar is made from the unfertilized eggs of female sturgeon and paddlefish, among the oldest and largest species of fish living on earth." in World Wide Fund for Nature, Wildlife Trade - Caviar Trade FAQs.

[7] "The United States of America Custom Service (US Customs & Border Protection, 2004) defines caviar as: Caviar is the eggs or roe of sturgeon preserved with salt. It is prepared by removing the egg masses from freshly caught fish and passing them carefully through a fine-mesh screen to separate the eggs and remove extraneous bits of tissue and fat. At the same time, 4–6 percent salt is added to preserve the eggs and bring out the flavour. Most caviar is produced in Russia and Iran from fish taken from the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azov." in Johannesson, J. (2006), "1. Fish roe products and relevant resources for the industry: Definitions of caviar", Lumpfish caviar – from vessel to consumer, FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 485, Rome, FAO, p.1.

[8] Arrêté du 23 février 2007 (fixant les conditions d'autorisation d'introduction d'esturgeons et la procédure d'autorisation des établissements procédant au conditionnement ou au reconditionnement du caviar à des fins d'exportation, de réexportation ou de commerce intracommunautaire; NOR: DEVN0750874A; Version consolidée au 06 mai 2007), Article 1: "a) Caviar : oeufs non fécondés, traités, des espèces d'acipensériformes dont la liste figure en annexe du présent arrêté;"

[9] REGULAMENTO (CE) n.o 865/2006 DA COMISSÃO de 4 de Maio de 2006,p.54.

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