Where Does Caviar Come From?

The expensive delicacy called caviar is made from the roe, or eggs, of a big fish called the sturgeon. These fish live mostly in salt-water lakes in certain parts of Europe and Asia.

Sturgeon leave their lakes to lay their eggs in river beds, and when they do, fishermen catch the fish and put them in underwater cages.

When the eggs are fully developed, the fish are killed and the eggs are removed from their bodies. Then the roe is kept in salty water for a time, put into jars or tins, and shipped to caviar lovers all over the world.

Some of the biggest sturgeon are over 12 feet long, and weigh a ton. A single fish this size can produce up to 130 pounds of caviar.

With caviar costing over ten dollars an ounce, a single giant sturgeon might produce $20,000 worth of caviar!