Sockeye caviar: photo, properties. Which caviar is better - pink salmon or sockeye salmon?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Citizens of the post-Soviet space at the word "caviar" involuntarily recall footage from the film "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession". Remember? “Black, red and overseas caviar - eggplant!!!” Now times have changed, and we already eat overseas product from grated zucchini from large bowls. But black and red caviar has become a sign of a big holiday. After all, the prices for it are such that only in the New Year you can afford to open a jar. It's even more disappointing if the product is of poor quality. In order not to get into trouble, read this short guide to the world of caviar. We will tell you how to choose jars and what should be indicated on the label. The focus of our attention will be sockeye caviar. She is especially loved and revered abroad, although she is not very popular with the domestic consumer. But in vain. We will try to debunk the black myth that sockeye salmon is an outcast in the glorious salmon family.

Red and black

It's no secret that caviar is an eggfish, from which, after fertilization with the milk of the male, a fry is born. Therefore, this grain contains many nutrients and useful minerals necessary for the development of a new organism. Moreover, all fish spawn (with the exception of viviparous ones): perch, pike and even roach. All kinds of this product are useful. But only a few are delicious. Only sturgeon and salmon caviar is recognized as a delicacy. And here, in passing, it is necessary to debunk myth No. 1. They say that black caviar is better. After all, at a cost it significantly exceeds the red one. In fact, pricing depends on the rarity of sturgeon - stellate sturgeon, beluga, sterlet. Much more common are salmon, from which red caviar is extracted: sockeye salmon, chum salmon, pink salmon, trout, chinook salmon, coho, sim. But some species of this family are also included in the Red Book. Therefore, Chinook and Sima caviar is very difficult to find on sale, and it costs as much as black.

How to choose a delicacy

How not to get lost among the numerous offers of red caviar producers? First of all, carefully study the text of the label. The blend is good in wine, but not in caviar. The jar should indicate from which fish it is extracted. On the question of which is better - pink salmon caviar or sockeye salmon, we will answer later. Now let's just point out the criteria for a quality product. Glass jars are preferable to metal ones. After all, this way we can see the content. Eggs should be of equal size, not stuck together, mostly whole, uniform in color. A bright ruby color may be evidence of a fake (the exception is sockeye salmon and chinook caviar). The usual color is orange with a transition to a pale red. The date of manufacture of the product is of paramount importance. If the label indicates autumn or winter months, the caviar is obtained from frozen fish.

“Grainy” or “Parse”?

These terms represent a difference in processing methods. In the body of a female fish, caviar is enclosed in a pouch - yastik. When it is cut, the grains are ground through a grate, and then placed in a brine, where they lie for about ten days. Then the necessary preservatives are added to them and sealed in vacuum jars. This is how grainy caviar is obtained. But having opened such a jar, you need to eat the contents in one or two days. The granular eggs are drier and prone to "weathering". The pressed method of processing is when the entire yastik is lowered into the brine. It is cut up just before pasteurization. Thus, it doesn’t matter what kind of caviar you have in your hands - chum salmon or sockeye salmon - if it is pressed, it retains more useful liquid. "Amniotic fluid" has passed into the grains, and they have a longer shelf life. This also affects the gastronomic parameters of the product - the pressed one is less s alty.

Does size matter?

If we are talking about black caviar, then the larger the grains, the better the product. In red, it's the other way around. Small grains are more valued by gourmets. And here the time has come to answer the question of concern to many: “Which is better - pink salmon caviar or sockeye salmon?” The largest chinook grains are as much as eight millimeters in diameter. Ketovaya is a little less - seven, for whichand was nicknamed "royal" by the people. Pink salmon and coho salmon eggs are approximately the same size - four millimeters. And sockeye salmon has very small caviar - only 3 mm in diameter. With us, these grains of dark red, even ruby color are valued less. The fact is that sockeye caviar, the photo of which looks very appetizing, has a pronounced bitter taste. But abroad, this quality is not considered a minus, but a piquant feature. But the neutral taste of dark orange grains extracted from pink salmon is considered too ordinary there.

Sockeye caviar: properties

The benefits of this product can hardly be overestimated. Red caviar does not contain carbohydrates at all, and there are few fats in it - only 13.8 g per hundred grams of product. And those that are are very useful for the body - the notorious Omega-3. Red caviar is also rich in vitamins A, C and D. Therefore, its use has a beneficial effect on vision, strengthens the immune system. It is given to children who are prone to rickets, patients who have undergone surgery, weakened people. Do not forget about the essential amino acids - aspartic, glutamine, alanine, valine, isoleucine, leucine and lysine. Phosphorus, potassium and iodine take care of the nervous system, strengthen the musculoskeletal system. Especially it should be said about nicotinic acid - it gives sockeye caviar a characteristic note of bitterness. And there are so many vitamins of group B in this delicacy product that it is used not only for food, but also used as part of creams and masks in cosmetology.

Harm caviar

It should be said thatThis product is quite high in calories. Sockeye caviar perfectly saturates - and this circumstance should be taken into account by those who are on a diet. Its nutritional value is 251 kcal per hundred grams of product. Speaking about the negative properties of red caviar, and sockeye salmon in particular, we need to make a small reservation. Not she herself is harmful, but "accompanying products." After all, the grains are aged in brine, which means that the delicacy should not be abused by people suffering from edema and kidney disease. Preservatives also play a significant role. You can’t do without them - after all, during sterilization, tender caviar will turn into porridge. Vacuum-packed without preservatives, the product can only be stored for about three months. GOST (18173-2004) only allows two substances for red caviar. These are E200 (sorbic acid) and E239 (urotropin).

How to Serve

Sockeye caviar is too small, so it will not look spectacular on the usual canapes. It is best used to decorate fish salads and as a filling for pancakes or stuffed eggs. Tartlets look beautiful with her - shortcrust pastry baskets. You can also serve this product as an independent snack. In this case, a vase with crushed ice is placed on the table, and on it is a small crystal caviar bowl with a silver coffee spoon. This delicacy and symbol of the Soviet holiday is served at the very beginning of the meal.

What goes well with

Contrary to popular belief, vodka is not the most desirable companion for caviar. Cognac also dulls the sensitivity of the receptors on the tip of our tongue, and this interferes withfeel the subtle taste of caviar. The best accompaniment for this delicacy is dry white wine or champagne. Non-drinkers can be offered mineral water or black tea. But coffee and juices can interrupt the delicate taste. There are many fish salads, where red caviar is involved. Sockeye salmon, with its bitterness, goes well with seafood and shrimp. This caviar can be used to make sushi.