The world’s most expensive food is caviar, which is fish eggs

And that fish is the Beluga Sturgeon. The famous caviar obtained from this fish is considered the most delicious and luxurious food in the world. The eggs of this fish resemble tiny pearl-like beads. But their price is in no way less than gold or diamonds.

So how did fish eggs, caviar, become the world’s most expensive food? The main reason caviar holds its position as the world’s most expensive food is limited supply and rarity. In the late 1980s, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, caviar collection became part of a free market. As a result, overfishing began. Due to overfishing, river pollution, and dam construction, sturgeon fishing declined by 70 percent between 1978 and 1994. Environmental damage and illegal trade have made sturgeon fish endangered.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, it is one of the most endangered species in the world. This extreme rarity has driven caviar prices sky-high.

There are primarily four types of caviar in the world. Among them, the most famous is Beluga caviar, which comes from the Beluga Sturgeon of the Caspian Sea. It is generally gray or dark in color. Its taste is intense and rich. Then there is Osetra caviar, which is brown or golden in color, with a distinct salty flavor reminiscent of the sea.

The third type is Sevruga caviar, which comes from the eggs of Sevruga, Sterlet, and Siberian Sturgeon. These eggs are comparatively small but have a buttery flavor. Lastly, Lake Sturgeon caviar comes from wild Atlantic Sturgeon and White Sturgeon, known as American caviar, with a fresh and salty taste.

Caviar is a type of fish roe or fish eggs. Although the eggs of various fish are called roe, true caviar comes only from sturgeon fish. Due to its high price, other fish eggs are sometimes used as substitutes. Tobiko roe comes from flying fish. Masago roe comes from small fish called smelt. Salmon eggs are called Ikura or red caviar. These can be used as caviar substitutes, but in terms of price and taste, sturgeon caviar is considered superior.

Caviar, known worldwide as a delicious and luxurious food, is made from unfertilized fish eggs with a salty taste. However, not all unfertilized fish eggs qualify as caviar. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), genuine caviar comes only from sturgeon fish. These fish are generally found in the seas of Russia, Ukraine, and North America.

The most fascinating aspect of sturgeon fish is their egg-laying capacity. A single sturgeon can release several million eggs at once. They naturally grow in various water bodies. However, due to high egg demand, they are now also farmed specially for caviar production. Some species, like the Beluga Sturgeon, can grow up to 15 feet in length.