Metamorphosis

It was back in 2008 when we had the intensive fotoshooting in Uruguay, creating a campaign which was considered to be the landmark of our brand. Our “Metamorphosis”. Representing in many ways the cornerstones of our visions about ZwyerCaviar. Sea meets land. The old and the new melted together, transformed into a new being. A new way of interpretation. A fresh look at the old.

Even if the result of that shooting was exactly as we envisioned, we decided to go with this only on our homepage as an intro element.

Now we digged out the pictures and started to use it in selected hotel boutiques as an additional eye catcher.

Hope you like it (click to enlarge)!

(BTW: the mermaid in the picture is Sophie Zwyer, my brother’s wife)

The Mongols invade St. Moritz

It is debatable if the King of sports and the sport of Kings originates in Persia – or Mongolia. Sure is, that polo was populaar during the time of the great Genghis Khan and even before that. It is believed that the Mongols enjoy polo since 600 B.C.

Polo carries a similar weight of legends and prestige as does caviar. For the 25th anniversary of the Cartier Polo World Cup o Snow in St. Moritz, the events guest country will be Mongolia.Its culture will be presented in form of a VIP-tent (a so called ‘yurt’) with a traditionally decorated lounge, Mongolian music and vodka and the entire VIP-Marquee comes in a Mongolian style too. There will be traditionally dressed Mongolian ladies for the prize giving and before the games Mongolians dressed as warriors present the teams. Rumors has it, that the president himself or Prime Minister will attend the event.

Back in August 2008 a delegation of St. Moritz Polo AG visited Mongolia. During their stay members of the St. Moritz Polo Club competed against a native polo team – and won! The fruits of this undergoing is a new partnership between the St. Moritz Polo AG and the Mongolian Polo Federation with the objective to promote future cultural and polo events. Sure two countries with huge cultural differences, but united through the sport of polo!

The untold story of Polo & Caviar

Nowadays Polo is usually associated with royal England but its origins came from far away east, somewhere along the line between Asia and Europe. Some of the major sources of historical information are derived from the Persian literature and art. Polo dates back in the 6th Century BC, originally created by some of the Central Asia tribes. Undoubtedly, the game was quickly adopted as a training method for the cavalry of ancient Shahs, Khans, and Caliphs. Polo game takes a special place in the history of Asia, and by the Middle Ages it has been played from Constantinople to Japan.  Through the centuries, in the times of conquering this part of the world, Polo became the most noble game, proof of the exceptional qualities and strength of the kings. Historical evidence of its royal transformation is a famous verse, etched on a stone, next to a polo filed in Pakistan, on the road of silk, between China and Europe.  

Turning sight to caviar’s history it is more than noticeable that it has the same origin: Caspian Sea, along the coast of Iran and Russia, the most significant producers of high- class caviar in the world. Initially, used as the food of the masses, sanctioned by the Orthodox Church during religious feasts, caviar was later on introduced to the West world, to become the most desirable, extravagant and rare food of the modern times.

The developments in Polo & Caviar in the Middle to Late 18th Century outlined their brilliant and glamorous future.  The first touch of the western people to the game was by British tea planters, who witnessed a polo match in India and took with them the idea of the most difficult equestrian game in England. Around 1850-1870, the polo was officially established in England. Few years later, ironically polo was introduced to Argentina and U.S.A, the countries together with U.K that happen to be polo’s most developed and passionate nations. What was happening with the caviar during the Middle of 18th Century? In the 1860, Russia developed a technology to fertilize sturgeon eggs. Already introduced in Europe, in 18th century caviar was in its apogee during the Belle Époque. The demand for the tiny, delicious, elegant black beads in the royalty courts of Italy, France, and England increased drastically. The international trade of the most superior caviar started with the dealership of the German company Dieckmann & Hansen.

Modern fishery was established by the Lianazov Family along the coast of the Iranian Caspian Sea tracing out the high quality production of the future’s most scarce gourmet delicacy.

The Caviar lifetime: From ordinary to luxury

Not every fairytale starts as bright and shiny as it ends. The world’s most extravagant and highly valued delicacy also has its story. For those of you with special impulse to the word caviar, we recommend a frozen glass of Champaign and a time to relax with the legendary dish in the history.

The Medieval times mark the first trace of caviar consumption, served to the Mongol‘s Batu Khan when conquering the region around Moscow. This first mentioning of caviar feast dates back 1240 and it happens just half a century prior the official sanctioning of caviar, sturgeon, and other fishes as acceptable by the Russian Orthodox Church during the long periods of fasting. During this historical period the consumption of caviar was related to the rules of the influential institution of the Church. Everyone from the common peasant to the aristocracy member would have to follow the strict fasts and prevent themselves from enjoying any meat for more than half a year. During the 13th Century sturgeon was preferred by many Russians as the best substitution of meat, which resulted in an exceptionally high price, not affordable for the lower social classes. In order to remain faithful followers of the Orthodox Church the poor started to include the roe of the sturgeon to their fasting meals.

Caviar was considered the food of the masses, until one day during the reign of Peter the Great, his wife Catharine the Great served it as a festivity food at one of the banquets she hosted. This was the end of the caviar’s miserable life; it has been introduced to the Russian court and welcomed to the world of abundance, extraordinary luxury, and fabulous aristocratic future.  Peter the Great also played an important role for the popularization of the most scarce and delicate food in the Western world. He offered a taste of caviar to King Louis XV of France, whose first reaction to the fish roe was more than unpleasant. Spitting out the black beads on the carpet of the Versailles Palace didn’t change the destiny of caviar to become the most desirable, expensive and rare food, which only rich and influence enjoy.

The 19th Century’s technological achievements allowed caviar to enter the elegant and stylish homes of Europe. Royal families and nobilities in Western Europe, highly influenced by the exotic and mystic lifestyle of the Russian aristocracy, recognized caviar as the most exclusive dish to be served on their tables.

Caviar became a social status barometer. Respectfully, its price rose up and lined it up as the most expensive food one can order. Many fisheries have been established along the Russian and Iranian Caspian Coast, in order to satisfy the demand for the black gold. Experienced, just few centuries ago as a food for everyone in Russia, caviar became the King’s food, which only selected people can taste and indulge in.

2500 years of caviar history

Sturgeon are one of the world’s oldest species going back 250 million years, having survived the dinosaurs. Instead of scales, five rows of large bony plates or shields (called scutes) cover the Sturgeon’s leather-like skin. The scutes provide protection against predators and add to the fish’s primitive appearance. Sturgeon are one of the most ancient groups of bony fishes, a relict from the Mesozoic era. These characteristics are known from fishes present during the Devonian period, which occurred 360-408 million years ago.

The best-known Sturgeon, the Beluga with its home in the Caspian Sea, is the largest known freshwater fish (the largest one on record weighed in at 2,175kg). The first written record of caviar can be found in the journals of Batu Khan (Ghengis Khan’s grandson) dating back to the 1240s.

Noticing the decline of this valuable resource, the old Soviet Union imposed very strict controls on caviar and learnt how to spawn Sturgeon in the late eighteen hundreds, releasing the fingerlings back into the Caspian Sea. Unfortunately most of the eggs of the mature Sturgeon in the Caspian Sea are now non-fertile due to genetic malformation directly attributable to the high pollution levels.
It took 20 years of research, but in the early 1990s science finally found a way to successfully farm 2 smaller species of Sturgeon: a native of Siberia (acipenser baeri) in France and, in America, the native white Sturgeon (acipenser transmontanus). Farming enables complete control over the fish’s lifecycle and harvesting of the roe at the optimal time, guaranteeing a consistent quality and, best of all, without endangering the already depleted wild Sturgeon population.

The acipenser baeri is the only species of Sturgeon capable of feeding on food in suspension, whereas all other Sturgeon are bottom feeders. Farming Sturgeon for caviar is a risky and expensive business demanding lots of patience as it takes 2 years before the young fish’s gender can be determined and after separating the males from the females (the males for meat and the females for caviar and meat) it takes a further 6 years for the female to carry her first set of eggs.

Esturiones Del Rio Negro is so far the only Sturgeon farm in the southern hemisphere. It was built by Walter H. Alcalde Dayviere in Baygorria, the pristine lake of the Rio Negro Hydroelectric Scheme, with the help of the Russian Government (who identified this pristine and perfect breeding location by using satellite technology). The Russians assist with technical advice and farming techniques and supply personnel and Russian Sturgeon breeding stock (imported from the Lena and Ob rivers in Siberia). Esturiones Del Rio Negro utilises pontoon-floating cages at the edge of the fastest flowing water in depths of up to 10m.

ZwyerCaviar delivers to you the highest quality caviar on the planet, fresh from the virgin waters of Rio Negro.