Apart from boosting the heart and rejuvenating cells, caviar has also been shown by scientists to be effective in tackling depression and treating impotency.
CAVIAR may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to healthy living, but the famous delicacy is rich in a variety of vitamins as well as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, fluorine, sodium and iron.
And while caviar has long been considered an expensive rarity – particularly in a country like Cambodia – people are often surprised at how affordable it can be, especially when eaten sparingly.
Frenchman Bernard Matter has made it his mission to introduce the taste of caviar to the Kingdom since arriving in Phnom Penh more than a decade ago to open the Bougainvillier, a boutique hotel on Riverside.
With his two partners, Prince Pheanuroth Sisowath and Etienne Chenevier, he launched Caviar & Traditions in 2017, offering online and door-to-door delivery of the exquisite garnish.
Historically the term caviar referred only to the roe cultivated from sturgeon captured in the Caspian and Black Seas, but these days is sometimes wrongly used to describe the eggs of many different fish, including salmon and trout.
While Iran and Russia were traditionally the biggest producers of the salty delicacy, China now dominates the industry – producing some 60 percent of the world’s supply.
But when it comes to quality, the traditional producers still head the market.
Preparation has not significantly changed over the last century. The ovaries are removed from a female sturgeon and roes are rinsed to wash away impurities. They become caviar with the addition of precise amounts of salt for taste and preservation.
The caviar is then tasted and graded according to quality before being packed into lacquer-lined tins for sale to customers.
The care of the product is vital to maintaining quality from factory to the table, and Matter said all Caviar & Traditions products are sent by air to Cambodia.
“Always store caviar at a very cold temperature, but do not freeze it. Keep it evenly chilled especially when moving it from one place to another and when serving it,” the company says on its website.
Studies show that eating just one gram of caviar a day significantly improves health. The acids contained in the fish-egg delicacy help to reduce blood clotting, protect the arteries from hardening, and can reduce the chance of heart attacks, strokes or clogged arteries.
The selenium in caviar also pairs with natural Vitamin E to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals and other compounds, boosting the immune system and helping to support overall cell growth.
Caviar has also been shown by scientists to be effective in tackling depression and treating impotency.
Still, what attracts most people to caviar is the taste, and in this area Caviar & Traditions have you covered.
“Our expertise in French gastronomy allows us to select the finest sturgeon roe for an exquisite gourmet experience,” the company says.
