Herring caviar: benefits, features, use in cooking

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

Such a product as herring caviar is known and loved by gourmets from all over the world. It is widely used in both European and Asian cuisines. The centuries-old culinary traditions of Russia also did not do without herring caviar - from time immemorial it was served in Russia to the tables of the sovereign and the nobility, and the families of ordinary fishermen often enjoyed this delicacy.

Product Geography

The main part of the herring caught in the upper layers of the waters came there to spawn. In the old days, in some regions, fish huddled in such dense flocks that the sea surface became silver. On average, spawning lasted about two weeks. During this time, the water simply became cloudy from milk, and caviar covered the surfaces of pitfalls, tangles of algae, and rocks. Today, it will not be possible to see such a miracle, because industrial fishing gives its results. Currently, not only the herring itself, but also the caviar is of considerable interest to fishermen from the countries of Northern Europe, Russia, Canada and the USA. The main share of production falls on the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. Herring caviar is especially valued by the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun. Unlike Europeans and Russians, the Japanese prefer not to s altcaviar, and harvest already swept for kelp.

Types and varieties

S alted herring caviar is the most common product on the European market. To cook it, the eggs are released from the eggs, s alted in oil, spices, marinade. All kinds of snack pastes are made from broken caviar, mixed with butter, soft cheese, and an egg. Europeans also respect yastykovy caviar. It is fried in batter and served with toast.

Herring roe in ovaries is highly valued in Japan. It is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin and spices and then used to prepare traditional dishes. For example, nigiri is often prepared from layers of herring caviar. Dry s alted caviar is also used for making sushi, both as the main flavoring ingredient and for decoration.

But most of all, the Japanese love kazunoko-kombu - an unusual appetizer of caviar, collected and s alted right along with seaweed. With its expressive taste and amazing crunch, this product is served in small eateries and in the most luxurious restaurants.

Useful properties

A and D are the most valuable substances contained in herring roe. The benefits and harms of this product have long been described by nutritionists. The main thing you should know about the caviar of this fish is the high glycemic index. People who follow this indicator in products should be careful. In addition, like any s alty product, caviar affects the water-s alt metabolism in the body. This product is not worth itgorge on those who suffer from edema or have kidney problems.

However, the benefits of dishes with herring caviar are enormous. In addition to the most valuable vitamins, it contains a number of trace elements, including iodine, selenium, magnesium, cob alt, calcium and other substances necessary for he alth.

Well, everyone probably knows about the benefits of fish oil since childhood. Meat, milk and caviar of herring contains a lot of it. Fishermen say that the farther north a fish is caught, the fatter it is - after all, fat helps to keep warm. By the way, the fat found in milk and caviar is much better absorbed.

There are a lot of amino acids in herring, including essential ones. The above is enough to include herring caviar in your diet more often. Do not forget about the calorie content of caviar - it is 220-225 kcal per 100 g of product. This is even more than the calorie content of fatty herring meat.

Taste

Nutritionists say that herring caviar is very nutritious. It has a bright characteristic aroma. Its taste depends entirely on the way it was prepared. Caviar absorbs s alt and spices very well.

The eggs are relatively small, they do not burst on the teeth, they crunch. Breakthrough caviar usually has a mushy texture, it is viscous and s alty. With the help of marinade, you can give it sharpness, sourness, spice. The herring roe is denser and drier. The Japanese first s alt it in strong brine, and then soak it in lightly s alted brine. By the way, Far Eastern chefs assure that soaking infresh water will only spoil the product - the s alt will come out of the upper layers, and the deep ones will remain s alty. Therefore, they also use brine for soaking.

Use in cooking

Herring roe is often used in sushi nigiri. It is also used for many other traditional dishes. Herring caviar is often served in Japan with soy sauce, rice, stewed vegetables. The yastyki are rolled in a mixture of red pepper and other spices, tinted with natural dyes. The calorie content of caviar, its excellent taste and aroma determine such a love of the Japanese for this product.

In European cuisine, hearty cold appetizers are prepared from raw caviar. They are served with wheat or rye toast. Delicious butter, pates, pastes are used for stuffing profiteroles, pancakes and vol-au-vents, decorate canapés with them, serve with shu buns. Boiled potatoes or rice are served as garnishes for caviar dishes.