We are on a dusty road in Malaga, Spain. I am with David – my friend, chef and host, and we are blindly following the cheery voice of the GPS on our way to a caviar farm. Yes, that’s right – a caviar farm in the middle of the Spanish countryside.
The GPS lady tells us we have arrived. We look around. Arrived where? I don’t see any rivers or ponds or fish, or anything! After fighting with the GPS for a bit, we finally get to where we’re headed – Riofrio Caviar, the first organic sturgeon caviar farm in the world.
Now, I know caviar isn’t for everyone. The word conjures up images of fancy cocktail parties and wealthy people nibbling on toast points and downing champagne. The tiny little fish eggs certainly have a cachet and it’s not a food most of us have hanging around in the fridge.
But after eating at Chef Diego Gallegos’s newly Michelined restaurant Sollo http://www.sollo.es/lang/en/, I knew that it was definitely worth exploring the origins of these tiny gems. Gallegos invited us into his kitchen, where we got to watch this up-and-coming and very exciting chef at work- he definitely deserves the title given to him at Madrid Fusion last year- Chef Revelación. I’m not the only person to sing his praises- check out what A Luxury Travel Blog has to say about him – http://www.aluxurytravelblog.com/2016/01/16/3-new-michelin-stars-herald-malagas-world-class-cuisine/
Gallegos does something special in his kitchen, not only with the food. He makes it a point to source his caviar from a local organic caviar farm, supporting a local business and promoting Spain’s agricultural innovations.
Back to the farm – we were given the grand tour and got to meet the sturgeon, who live undisturbed in the cold water of the Rio Frio, which flows unpolluted from a nearby Andalusian mountain.
Did you know it takes 18 years to get the final product, caviar, from these prehistoric fish?
First, the staff at Riofrio Caviar have to wait up to seven years to distinguish whether a fish is female or male (important, when you’re talking about eggs!), and then wait another nine years for the fish to grow to size. It was really cool to learn that these fish, we usually think of in cold Northern waters, actually did live in the Mediterranean, millions of years ago!
What I liked best about all this was that the fish here are protected and allowed to live as naturally as possible before the eggs are extracted. There is more and more pressure to only use farmed sturgeon, because wild populations are so fragile. The example set by Riofrio Caviar’s organic aquaculture practices is truly something to see – just one more reason to love this region of Spain!
Check back next week for another Delectable Destinations adventure!
Carol Ketelson is the owner and operator of Delectable Destinations LLC. Dedicated to planning, co-ordinating and curating customized group tours to hand-picked destinations. As an experienced travel planner, Carol’s customized itineraries, specialized tours and off-the-beaten-path experiences create memorable journeys for her small groups of singles, couples, divorced, widowed and solo travelers seeking exceptional trips into the culture and cuisine of destinations around the world. Spring and Fall bookings invite travelers to taste delectable local cuisine, culturally rich traditions and mesmerizing sights. For over 10 years, Carol’s tours have captured the true essence of Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, Puglia, Spain, Ireland and India.
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