Sterling Farms White Sturgeon Caviar from Elverta, California

Acipenser Transmontanus

Sterling Farm began in 1988 by Norwegian entrepreneur Jacob Stolt-Nielson. He had a background in fish farming in Norway and when he moved to the United States, he wanted to work with domestic White Sturgeon. He acquired local White Sturgeon broodstock with the help of UC Davis from the Columbia River they became the first commercial farm of caviar in the United States. Over 20 years later, Sterling is the largest producer of domestic caviar in the United States. They use a Recirculating Aquaculture System [RAS] which recycles the large quantity of water the fish need during their lifespan. They ensure that every part of the fish is used when harvested, including the delicious Sturgeon meat. They are showing us all how great fish farming can be!

Basically, Chef Thomas Keller showed us the light! It was a serendipitous meeting because Island Creek Oysters and Sterling Caviar were paired together in his 'Oysters and Pearls' dish at The French Laundry and Per Se. That got us thinking about the similarities between oysters and caviar. We want people to be asking the same questions about caviar that they do about oysters—Where is it from? Who grew the fish? How does it impact the environment? Our goal is to bring transparency to the opaque world of caviar production and celebrate domestic, sustainable operations.

White Sturgeon take around 7 years in captivity to reach sexually mature for egg production. Once a biopsy has been taken and the eggs look almost perfect for harvesting, the fish are transported to larger tanks. They are given ultrasounds over a period of time to see how the eggs are developing. If the growing conditions are not perfect, the fish will reabsorb their eggs and it will be several more years until they develop them again. Post harvesting, the eggs are rinsed and salted. Island Creek receives the caviar after 3 to 4 months of aging which gives it a rich, developed flavor.

Consuming this product can expose you to chemicals including lead, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.