European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 28, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Caviar by Mary Neth staff writer consumer watch the gourmet s pearls hell never forget that dinner Dalein the candlelit Chi Chi restaurant. Ten years later the once wealth industrialist tells friends that he can still feel the terror that gripped him As he sat across from the exquisite Little blonde who was to become his wife. It should have served As a warning but i went ahead and married her he says with a Shrub. I never stopped  determined to impress he had ordered Champagne and the finest caviar around $100 an Ivory spoonful. The waiter brought the latter to the table in a delicate Glass bowl set in a Silver dish of crushed ice. As his wife to be chatted vivaciously she la d out spoonful alter spoonful of the Black pearls. I began mentally counting $300. $400, $500. 1 Felt dizzy. I was still on a student s allowance. I could see myself before my father asking for an Advance of my inheritance " caviar the Roe or eggs of the migratory Turgeon fish has always been a treat for the discerning with the Best reserved for rulers such As Shah and czars. Generally the lion s share of the yearly catch is used during Christmas and new year s celebrations. In Germany a heavy importer this adds up to 90 percent of the 30 tons that Are brought in each year. Heavy commercial fishing polluted Waters and electrical Power plants have made Sturgeon practically extinct in most Waters today. Now. These fish with the prize eggs Are found mostly in the coastal Waters of the Caspian sea. Many people Are disappointed when they first taste this delicacy. Unfortunately there can be very bad caviar. This in t because of the Type of fish but a Lack of expertise and care in preparing the Roe. For top Quality the fish must be delivered alive to the caviar Plant. In Spring when fully grown the Sturgeon swim up the Rivers that flow into the Caspian to spawn. The females search for a Sandy Pool in the upper reaches of the River where the water is fresh while the males engage in a kind of love Pursuit. Escorting them to the spawning grounds. The baby sturgeons rapidly struggle free from the Fertile eggs and after a three month period descend to the Mouth of the River where they remain for several years. They then move to the sea where they live until fully grown returning to the River Only when it is time to reproduce. At one time the cossacks of the ural River a spooned the fish through holes in the ice. Thus obtaining the first caviar of the year. This Superior yellow Gold caviar was presented to the Czar. The most important russian caviar producers Are located in Astrachan at the Mouth of the Volga. The Fishers who Are often under Way on the Caspian for Days bring the catch to the factory in water tanks. After the fish Are killed the stomachs of the Lemale sturgeons Are Slit open and the Black Roe the eggs still massed in the ovarian membrane. Falls out. In Russia a Type of caesarean Section has been perfected that makes it possible for the Roe to be taken from the live fish which is then thrown Back betide their top caviar the Ruriani Alto turn out a look alike imitation shown Here. Into the River to continue the reproduction Cycle. After the Roe has been removed from the fish in is carefully pressed through a Sieve by hand to remove the membrane. Then it is put into wooden tubs and salted by hand. The Salt Cooks the Roe and makes it into caviar. The proper amount depends on the ripeness of the eggs. More Salt is added to eggs considered Over mature and these Are then used Lor pressed caviar. A master caviar maker sorts out the eggs Lor the salting process by intuition and experience. The top Quality Atosso which in russian Means Little Salt is then packed in half to one Pound tins closed with rubber rings and refrigerated until used. Caviar sold packed in Small Glass ounce jars is pasteurized to keep it from spoiling. The Price depends on the Type of caviar on Frankfurt s lamed fress Gass or gluttony a inc. The gourmet Ploger Delicatessen provides both Irish and canned caviar for its discriminating clientele we handle caviar Only from Russia snick .1 clerk none from Iran. We consider the russian  iranian Sturgeon eggs should be just As Good. But some feel that since the change of government the preparation has become univ in there Are three main Sturgeon species that produce Black caviar the Beluga which has the largest eggs the Setra. With medium size egts. And the Seruga which has the smallest eggs. An ounce of tinned Beluga is priced at 52.75 Marks at 2.50 Marks to a Dollar $21.10. Setra at 34.75 Marks $13.90 and Seruga at 30.75 $12.30. Fresh Beluga and Seruga caviar must be ordered ahead. Ploger Doet its own packaging weighing out the customer s order from the Stock it keeps under refrigeration in a special warehouse. The smallest amount of fresh Beluga sold 50 Grams about two ounces costs 90 Marks $36. The same amount of Seruga is priced at 47.50 Marks $19. If you Are planning on throwing a big Bash Ploger will provide 1,000 Grams 2.2 pounds of fresh Beluga for 1,745 Marks $698. You can go cheap of course and Settle Tor the smaller Seruga eggs. They will run you Only 900 Marks $360 Lor the 2 2 pounds. For full enjoyment gourmets advise rolling the Light Gray Beluga eggs Over the Tongue. With the Seruga. Which has eggs that Are about half the size this is More difficult to do. Particularly expensive Are the almost White eggs irom the rare Albino Sturgeon. In Russia White caviar is reserved for the Kremlin table As previously it was reserved for the Shah of Iran. When Ayatollah Khomeini took Over in 1979. Caviar was banned As a Symbol of decadence. Sometime last year however the ban was lifted and caviar produced on the South coast of the Caspian is again flowing to the capitalist West and communist East. Despite a . Freeze on importing iranian goods it still finds its Way to american restaurants by Way of european exporters. How does Good caviar taste it is difficult to describe. Caviar connoisseurs agree on what m should not be. It should not have a Strong odor be watery taste fishy rancid or sour. When it has the desired discreet Aroma Lemon or raw chopped onion Are the recommended seasonings. During the Shah s reign tourists in Iran were served caviar with a Choice of chopped chives hard boiled egg onion or a Dollop of sour Cream the iranians themselves however according to a former american resident of the country consider that like using Mink to dress poodles. They preferred their caviar a Naturel. If you Are in Paris and wish to treat yourself to a caviar luncheon visit caviar Kaspina 17 place de la Madeleine. There is an elegant but informal Little restaurant above caviar Kaspina a shop devoted to a handful of food fantasies caviar Salmon and smoked fish served generally with icy Vodka. The caviar comes in 30-Gram portions what happened to the student turned industrialist whose tiny Blond Date ran up the enormous caviar Bill after our marriage the predilection Lor the better things of life grew More and More pronounced. Finally i was driven to bankruptcy and she left me. I must give her credit though my sex wife had impeccable and expensive  he says. Saturday december 28, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 13