Conservation and Caviar

On a quiet, rural road in Wilton, south of Sacramento, a sturgeon farm owned by Tsar Nicoulai is making big waves in the U.S. caviar industry. Since the late 1980’s, originally driven by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Sacramento region’s innovation in sustainable fish farming of white sturgeon has been a beacon of conservation, according to University of California, Davis (UCD) Aquaculture Specialist Jackson Gross. Four decades later, the Sacramento Valley now yields about 90 percent of all farm raised sturgeon in North America.

“Our caviar [sturgeon] industry is significant — it employs a lot of people and has economic benefits,” says Gross, who supports the aquaculture industry across the state. His work encompasses, as he puts it, “all things that grow in water.” That includes sturgeon farming, along with conservation hatcheries such as Nimbus Fish Hatchery and Coleman National Fish Hatchery, both of which support the populations of salmon and steelhead.

Once considered a luxury, or an elite treat, indulgent caviar has in recent years reached a more accessible price point. That’s not to suggest it’s cheap or even common, but the tasty pearls are appearing more and more often outside the confines of traditionally black-tie affairs. This could be attributed to some of the innovations and expansions happening right here in Sacramento’s backyard. The Bolourchi family, owners of both Tsar Nicoulai and Plaza de Caviar in Concord, Calif., plays a key role in the rising popularity of caviar.

Prioritizing Sustainability

Prioritizing sustainability and conservation, Tsar Nicoulai’s fin-to-gill operation is making use of the entire sturgeon, not just the females’ eggs — the caviar. “I use the farm as a platform to bring a lot of talented scientists out, in regard to aquaculture, aquaponics, animal welfare, to find sustainable initiatives and future solutions,” explains Ali Bolourchi, president and co-owner of Tsar Nicoulai.

“We all know Sacramento is a great growing region and know climate change is real, so what we are working on now is for about 10 years out, what is in the future. – Ali Bolourchi

A confluence of factors makes this region a mecca for sturgeon farming. One such element is that white sturgeon are native to this region and don’t appear naturally anywhere else. “We are farming an indigenous species,” Bolourchi explains. This native environment, coupled with the research and technology produced by UCD, allows Sacramento farms to simulate a wild experience for the sturgeon in a farm setting so the fish thrive. “The secret sauce for us is to be respectful to Mother Nature, to give the fish as close to wild in a farm setting,” Bolourchi says, referring to the success of regional farming.

Repurposing Aquaculture 

About 80 percent of the water used in regional fish farms is recycled, Gross says.

“A lot of the water actually passes through the fish farms, then it’s utilized by neighboring agriculture to produce more food. Terrestrial farmers growing crops will utilize the water, which has the nutrients from the fish culture.” – Jackson Gross

Sturgeon farming could be considered regenerative agriculture, or more accurately “repurposing aquaculture,” in that it produces more protein per unit of water and feed than any other animal food source. “Pound for pound, fish is by far superior,” Gross argues, adding that chicken follows closely behind. More fish can be raised per unit of space, as well.

Poaching has been and still is an issue for the sturgeon population, not only for the eggs but also the meat. “The meat is a very valuable product; a lot of the world eats sturgeon. It’s important to farm sturgeon because it reduces the demand on the wild population species, which are threatened, endangered, going extinct,” says Gross. In this business, the females are prized, but the males are valuable, too. The fish are separated for meat and eggs based on sex, which is determined using an ultrasound on each fish. At around three years old, the young male sturgeons are processed for meat. In contrast, the caviar producing females are processed for meat at a much older age, after their eggs have been harvested. 

Modern Farming Practice

Some of the negative aspects of fish aquaculture — raising non-native species, farms pushing production too hard, use of environmentally taxing antimicrobials — are mostly mitigated through modern farming practices. The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Antimicrobial Use and Stewardship Program, in partnership with UCD, recently surveyed the industry and found that very little, if any, antimicrobial antibiotics are being used. When they are, it’s only for a drastic animal welfare issue. 

Regarding waste, the term “fin-to-gill” refers to using the whole fish. Gross argues that the U.S. is making strides towards reaching industry benchmark leaders like Iceland and Norway, which utilize 100 percent of the fish for products and byproducts, but we aren’t there yet. Though the U.S. still has a lot of room to improve, Gross notes that nothing goes to landfills; anything left over is rendered to fertilizer. 

Investment In the Future

When the pandemic led to restrictions on public outings, celebrations were held at home. That’s when caviar sales took off. “During the pandemic, there was a rush for caviar,” says Daniel Riveros, Tsar Nicoulai’s sales manager.

“We sold out on our website for the first time.” – Daniel Riveros

Tsar Nicoulai capitalized on this windfall by building out its Wilton farm, almost tripling capacity to 84 tanks, and increasing the fish population from about 3,000 mature sturgeon annually to as many as 12,000 currently, ultimately with the goal of increasing caviar output by four times. The tanks are part of a new Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS), which adds more environmental control with water temperature and use management. Additionally, the farm has historically utilized a shallow, 5-acre, U-shaped water hyacinth pond to biologically filter the recirculated water, removing ammonia and nitrates, among other particulates.

Most of the energy consumed on the farm is dedicated to pumping water through the system. But some of this power is generated by the sun. “We cover about 30 percent of our energy needs with the solar panels,” says Riveros.

From Fish to Caviar

At the Tsar Nicoulai Wilton farm, once workers harvest the female fish, they prepare the meat for use and bag the roe sacks, taking them directly to the on-site processing room. Workers repeatedly rinse the eggs to clean and filter the sacks, leaving only the eggs. They then place the eggs in a screened basket for about two to three minutes, allowing water to drain and the eggs to dry before weighing. From there, they brine the eggs in salt.

“We do a 3.5 percent salt ratio to the pound,” explains Chastin Yang, Tsar Nicoulai’s assistant farm and production manager. Next, workers spread the eggs out on a screened rack for further drying and quality inspection. Once complete, they pack the eggs into tins and briefly sanitize them under ultraviolet light. The eggs cure for about 45 days before workers assemble them into retail packaging.

Sturgeon Size Matters

Yang has the job, among other duties, of sampling eggs for sizing; the bigger, the better. There are additional aspects to grading, but size does matter. The age of the fish matters, too. Older fish are larger and produce bigger, and more eggs. Typically, premium grades come from fish about eight to 10 years old, while the entry grades that come from fish six to seven years of age. “The largest fish we’ve had recently was 8.5 feet long, weighing 280 pounds,” says Daniel Riveros, Tsar Nicoulai’s sales manager. “We got about 60 pounds of caviar from that one fish. On a regular size fish, we get out 15 to 20 pounds. So that was a monster for us.” Ultimately Mother Nature has the control, but skilled fish management plays a part.

Grades of Caviar

Genetics, affecting the color, taste, and texture also factor into the grading. Tsar Nicoulai produces six grades of California white sturgeon caviar at the Wilton farm. The grades are the entry-level classic, mid-range estate, premiums select and reserve, super-premium golden reserve, and the highest, a rare crown jewel.

Marai Bolourchi, vice-president and co-owner of Tsar Nicoulai and Ali’s spouse, retired as a nurse to become a fish farmer and caviar aficionado. Her favorite is the estate grade. “I call it the goldilocks; it’s not too briny, not too clean. It’s just right. Also, I love a good price point. It has a real butter of the sea flavor profile,” she explains.

“White sturgeon is going to be a softer caviar, in terms of texture. We call it the ‘eaters caviar.’” -Marai Bolourchi

Value Added Sturgeon Products

Most of the sturgeon meat Tsar Nicoulai produces is hot smoked (or, seasonally, cold smoked), packaged, and blast frozen on site. It uses in its state-of-the-art smokers just three ingredients: a local Wilton applewood for smoke, molasses, and sea salt. The Wilton facility also makes smoked sturgeon pâté and chips, along with other offerings. Local grocery stores and some local restaurants feature the company’s various products on their shelves and menus.

Omakase Por Favor, located in Lincoln, serves up Tsar Nicoulai’s tostada-size sturgeon chips. Riveros describes the eatery: “They serve you Mexican-style seafood but with service style of a sushi restaurant.”

Allora Chef Derek Sawyer attributes his appreciation for Tsar Nicoulai caviar partly to nostalgia, reflecting on his upbringing in a large Mexican family that always centered gatherings around food. Referring to Bolourchi, he adds, “When I see another person thriving off family and using other parts of the community as family, I gravitate towards that.” He also notes his admiration for the skill and expertise of the farmworkers.

As for caviar’s preferred drink pairing — Champagne or vodka? Ali, Marai, and Daniel agree: Champagne. However, Daniel notes that vodka is good to cleanse one’s palate if doing a caviar comparison tasting.

While caviar has found its way into more homes and onto plenty of plates, it remains a finer pleasure that can elevate any gathering or dining experience.