Browne Trading Company is excited to once again be a leader in sourcing and processing the finest quality aquacultured (or "farm-raised") caviars. This is a new technology and with many years of maturation required before harvest, farm raised sturgeon roe has only recently become available in marketable quantities. Rod and Cynde Mitchell have been traveling extensively to view caviar farms across Europe. We are now able to provide products from Italy, Germany, France, and have recently introduced new hybrid sturgeon species being aquacultured in Bulgaria.

These diligent aquafarming efforts have not only produced top-quality caviar, but also have provided a sustainable alternative for demand upon the critically endangered wild sturgeon species. We are pleased to carry the following:

Californian White Sturgeon (Acipenser Transmontanus) Caviars

Calvisus Transmontus (Italy) – Thanks to successful conservation efforts in Italy, the White Sturgeon is flourishing. Native to waters in California, these fish were originally brought in as stock fry and have been bred in Italy for over ten years. These diligent efforts have not only produced top-quality caviar, but also a sustainable solution for a critically endangered species.

These sturgeons are fed all-natural, hormone-free food. Raised in natural ponds fed by pure spring water that is sanitized and kept at a constant temperature, the fish are born in captivity and are cared for up until the time that the caviar is processed in Calvisano, Italy by Agroittica Lombarda fish farms. The white sturgeon is an ancient species that can live in the wild up to 100 years, weigh over 400 kg and reach a maximum length of 6 metres. Most caviar-producing fish in captivity can bear eggs at 11 years of age, and range in size from 35 to 60 kg.

The breeding cycle takes about five years for sturgeons that are meant to be eaten and 11 years for females producing caviar. Caviar is produced from October to April, allowing for continuous extraction and packing of these precious eggs. By comparison, wild caviar extraction is limited to two periods per year, spring and fall. Our Calvisius Transmontanus caviar is imported in nitrogen packs that keep out oxygen and bacteria, therefore protecting the caviar and preserving the flavor.

These cultivated white sturgeons produce large-grain roe much like the finest asetra. It is truly unforgettable, with a dark color and a rich, nutty, creamy flavor. Consistent and exquisite, the firm grain is large with an attractive, almost mirror-like sheen. The taste is light on saltiness (malossol), with nutty overtones and a pleasant, subtle finish. Calvisius Transmontanus deserves praise not only for its flavor, but also for its sustainability for the species and the environment.
Click here for a downloadable profile of this caviar! PDF (90kb)

Tsar Nicoulai Select and Tsar Nicoulai Estate Caviars (California, US) – In the Sacramento Valley the California White Sturgeon thrives. Cultured in fresh pure water from artesian wells the caviar is clean and crisp with a sweet briny finish. Tsar Nicoulai is a true success story in American raised sustainable caviar.

Siberian Sturgeon Caviars (Acipenser Baerii)

While some caviar purveyors often mislabel their roe as being "Osetra", the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser Baerii) is a separate species originally from Russian rivers, and is considered one of the most adaptable sturgeons to a farmed environment. The fish are born in captivity and are cared for up until the time that the caviar is processed, which in captivity can occur considerably quicker than in the wild. Being raised in a controlled lifecycle environment with regimented harvesting cycles at optimal times has resulted in a consistency of quality sought by caviar aficionados who are coming to appreciate these newly introduced farm raised caviars.

These cultivated Siberian sturgeons produce a variety of sized roe that are often compared to the finest wild sevruga caviars. These malassol (low salt) caviars are characterized by a dark charcoal grey color with an attractive, almost mirror-like sheen. The flavors are rich, nutty, and creamy. Browne Trading Company is proud to offer the following:

The "Original" (Italy) – Cultured in pure mountain spring water in the the Italian Countryside, this excellent roe is slate grey in color with a sweet creamy flavor and bursting firm texture. Raised and harvested by Agroittica Lombarda, producers of our Calvisius Transmontanus.
Click here for a downloadable profile of this caviar! PDF (88kb)

Desietra Baerii (Germany) – One of the newest cultured caviars to be offered by Browne, these medium sized black pearls with a crisp, clean favor are prepared by German aquaculturist artisans.
Click here for a downloadable profile of this caviar! PDF (84kb)

Sturia (France) – East of Bordeaux in the Aquitaine region of France comes a caviar of exceptionable quality. Siberian Sturgeon is successfully cultured in the clean air of the countryside yielding a roe with medium sized grains. Its flavor has a distinct sweet earthiness with a hint of hazelnuts.
Click here for a downloadable profile of this caviar! PDF (78kb)

Farmed Osetra Caviars (Acipenser Gueldenstaedti)

Desietra Osetra (Germany)– The Desietra facility in Germany has successful introduced the first true "Russian Sturgeon" (acipenser gueldenstaedti) to be cultivated for production of genuine Osetra caviar. Light in color, with a traditional, nutty flavor and subtle "pop" in the mouth.
Click here for a downloadable profile of this caviar! PDF (82kb)

Gueldenbaerii Caviar (Bulgaria)– Acipenser Gueldenstatti-Baerii, Guelden Baeri, is a hybrid of Siberian Sturgeon and Osetra Sturgeon that is cultured near the Black Sea in the tributaries of the Danube in Bulgaria. This is a beautiful large grain "Osetra" with a luxurious butteriness that is comparable to the finest roes. The color ranges from a lustrous deep gold to a soft grey and its firm pleasant "pop" gives way to a rich, complex, nutty flavor.

Royal Osetra (Bulgaria) – The Russian Osetra Sturgeon has been successfully cultured just outside of Vidin, Bulgaria producing a consistent roe that is noted for its beautiful large pearls and dark grey color. This Osetra is truly unique, rich and creamy, with a lingering nuttiness.