Red caviar: what are the benefits and how to choose correctly

We're not going to have a big holiday feast this year. Oh, well, that's okay. We will celebrate in a small circle. Now more than ever it is important to take care of the dearest people - their comfort, safety and health. Why not treat your loved ones with red caviar?

What are the benefits of red caviar?

This unique product will be a great help to restore the body weakened by disease (yes, yes, including Covid-19) and strengthen the immune system. A spoonful a day - and a concentrate of all the best that man can get from seafood will stand in defense of your health.

Caviar of any of the salmon species is rich in vitamins A, D, PP, B vitamins. It contains sufficient amounts of easily digestible proteins, fats and minerals (potassium, phosphorus and calcium). Abundant in polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, positively affecting brain function and, consequently, mental activity, as well as providing prevention of cardio and cancer, skin diseases and, which is especially relevant in pandemic conditions, depression.

How to choose red caviar?

Here there are a number of nuances, each of which is important and directly affects the quality of the purchased product.

The first and most important. Buy in supermarkets and specialized stores. Where at any time you can demand documentation on caviar and make sure that the product corresponds to the label. In a traditional store, the space for fraud is much smaller than when selling through the Internet, where in a few hours unscrupulous sellers create a one-day site, offering us, consumers, to buy, in fact, a cat in a bag.

Second. Like branded perfume, red caviar cannot cost three pennies. Various kinds of special offers and promotions of the format "three for the price of one" should make you wonder whether the throwaway price is not due to dubious quality, and whether it is caviar at all?

Third. Give preference to well-known trusted brands with a good reputation. But at the same time, do not be lazy to examine the packaging: whether the can is not bloated, not deformed, not hermetically sealed. Check if there is no liquid inside (which indicates low quality caviar). In case of a tin can, shake it and listen to it. Hear gurgling - look further. By the way, in late fall - early winter, safely reject all offers of "fresh caviar", because in this way you are clearly trying to deceive. Salmon go to spawn in the summer or early fall. But canned caviar can be produced during the year from frozen caviar - there is no trick.

Fourth. Read the label. It should indicate the grade (first or second - the highest simply does not exist), the type of fish (chum, nerka, pink salmon, silver, silver salmon or chinook salmon), as well as the ingredients. If the caviar is frozen, the composition should contain nothing but caviar and salt (2.5 to 3.3% of the total mass). If canned, plus vegetable oil (no more than 1%), sodium benzoate E211 and ascorbic acid E200. The last two positions are not "scary chemistry", as many believe, but antiseptics, designed specifically for canning caviar and work exclusively "in tandem". The mass fraction of preservatives should not exceed 0.1%. Remember that.

Fifth. Pay attention to the country of production. This is fundamental, because the only legal exporter of salmon caviar to Ukraine is the United States, Alaska. Import of this product from Russia is strictly prohibited. Nevertheless, quite often on the shelves of Ukrainian stores you can meet "guests from Kamchatka". Know that this is contraband, brought into the country bypassing the law and obviously with violations of storage and transportation conditions. In addition, under the guise of caviar from the Russian Federation is traditionally sold falsified.

Sixth. Do not neglect home inspection. You bought, came home, opened the jar and check. Whether the contents of the label - grade, size, taste and color of eggs - correspond to the characteristics of caviar of the type of fish, which is indicated on the package, whether there is no intrusive sharp smell of raw fish, there is no excess liquid. Be sure to see if the eggs have the so-called "eye", ie, the embryo of the fish. Squeeze the egg between your fingers and press - natural caviar has a dense shell and liquid content.

Be vigilant and healthy! Everything is in your hands.