CNN
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When Delphyne Dabezies first announced plans to launch Africa’s first caviar maker, some of the luxury food industry was incredible.
But now, 15 years after establishing her company, Acipenser, Dabezies’ products, with the brands of Rova and Kasnodar Caviar, have fortified into some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens.
Lake Mantasoa, located in the mountains of Madagascar, just east of Lake Mantanaribo, has emerged as an unlikely source of this gorgeous ingredient. “All experts said that was impossible,” Davegis told CNN.
The most expensive food in the world
The history and luxury of caviar
Caviar is a delicate matter made from salted sturgeon eggs. Traditionally sourced from the Russian Caspian Sea, it acquired a luxurious position in the 17th century after Emperor Alexei Mikhailovich made caviar the nation’s monopoly.
Production quickly spread around the world. With the establishment of Acipenser in Madagascar, caviar is currently produced in all residences outside of Australia.
For both its cultural significance and the long maturation period of sturgeon fish – 8 to 20 years, caviar can get as high as $27,000 tsp.
And there’s the coveted taste. “You just need to press it on your palate,” Nicola Fletcher, author of “Caviar: Global History,” told CNN.
Inspired by a television programme about French sturgeon agriculture, French trio Davegis, husband Christophe and friend Alexandre Guerrier pursue a similar project at an adoptive home in Madagascar, who had already worked in the textile trade. I have decided to do that.
Dabezies said they started “without any knowledge” about caviar production.
“No one could have done it at first, but no one wanted to help us,” Davegis said. On a holiday in Madagascar, retired sturgeon farming expert Françoise Rennes arrived to help with a ground project. Then one day, they drove to their weekend house and saw the lake.
Lake Mantasoa is located at an altitude of approximately 1,400 meters (4,590 feet) in the tropical atypical Madagascan Highlands. It turned out to be “the perfect environment for growing sturgeon,” Davegis said. Unlike the Northern Hemisphere, where low water temperatures can halt fish growth, Lake Mantasoa ranges from 13-23 degrees Celsius, allowing fish to grow year-round. As a result, the Davezy fish matured about two years faster.
Soon, the dream of three novice Sturgeon farmers came to life. Today, their caviar production consists of ponds on both the land and lakes of Madagascar, farming six species of sturgeons.
The culinary world was cautious when Acipenser produced the first batch of premium loba caviar in 2017, named after the historic Queen of the Madagascan palace in Antananarivo. Madagascar is known for its vanilla, not fish eggs.
“It was difficult at first,” Davegis said. “Everyone was laughing. I was kidding. But the only way to prove that caviar is good is to taste it.”
The opportunity arrived when a top European chef sampled produce in 2019 at the prestigious culinary exposition, Sirha Lyon. Since then, Rova Caivar has appeared on high-end menus around the world, including the five-star Hôtel de Crillon and Hôtel Du. Biarritz’s palace.
“We have caviar full of dul,” he said, the youngest chef ever to run a Michelin-starred kitchen in France, and donkeys for the La Grande Table in Paris last December. said Julia Cedefjian, who cooked the food with the caviar. A gala dinner announced by non-profit La Tabree Des Chefs. “Caviar that goes well with all palates, (A) finish buttery, brioche, hazelnut flavour.”
Caviar has also proven popular in Africa. The Le Saint-Gerin Hotel in Mauritius, and Constance Lemuria and Constance Epheria in the Seychelles all offer it.
“For chefs now, it’s a selling point to have Madagascar caviar on the plate,” claimed Davegis.
Rova’s most expensive products sell for 11,670 euros (approximately $11,960) per kilogram.
Madagascar is one of the most biodiversified countries on the planet, with thousands of species found anywhere else in the world. Dabezies has lived there for nearly 30 years, along with Christophe and Guerrier.
“It’s given us a lot,” she said, and “most importantly, the business offers benefits to local people and the country.”
Acipenser employs around 300 people, of which 80% come from local governments in Ambatolaona. The company provides training in fish farming and caviar production, providing medical coverage, literacy courses and family planning education.
Recently, a lease has been granted by the government to re-carve and protect the 200 hectares of hills around Lake Mantasoa.
Acipenser says it is taking steps to ensure the sustainability of the lake. This includes restocking to support local fisheries, installing water monitoring systems, and facilities to prevent water pollution.
The ultimate goal of many caviar manufacturers is to produce Beluga Caviar, the Beluga sturgeon, the most expensive and luxurious pacha caviar.
As of last year, Acipenser had the first beluga fish in Madagascar. This year, we are aiming to produce Beluga Caviar for the first time.
“Madagascar is a unique place with incredible potential,” Davegis said. “We are part of that story and we are proud to share that treasure with the world.”
