[Image: Wikicommons]
When Delphyne Dabezies first revealed her plans to launch Africa’s first caviar production facility, many in the luxury food industry were sceptical.
However, 15 years later, her company, Acipenser, and its Rova and Kasnodar Caviar brands have made their mark, with their products gracing some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens.
Located high in the mountains of Madagascar, near the capital Antananarivo, Lake Mantasoa has become an unlikely source of this luxurious ingredient.
Caviar, the salted eggs of sturgeon fish, has historically been sourced from the Caspian Sea, particularly by Russia, where it became a symbol of luxury in the 17th century when Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich I established it as a state monopoly.
Over time, caviar production spread globally, and with Acipenser’s establishment in Madagascar, the delicacy is now produced on every inhabited continent except Australia.
“Every expert said it was impossible,” Dabezies told CNN.
The process of caviar production is complex and costly, partly due to the long maturation period of sturgeon – ranging from 8 to 20 years – resulting in prices as high as $27,000 (R490,000) per teaspoon.
But experts say it’s worth it. “You just sort of press it against your palate, and the little eggs dissolve into deliciousness,” explained Nichola Fletcher, author of Caviar: A Global History.
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Dabezies, her husband Christophe, and their friend Alexandre Guerrier were inspired to create a sturgeon farm after watching a French TV program on sturgeon farming. The trio, already working in Madagascar’s textile industry, embarked on the project with little knowledge of caviar production.
“Nobody thought it was possible, and no one wanted to help us.”
The breakthrough came when Francoise Rennes, a retired sturgeon farming expert on vacation in Madagascar, lent her expertise to the endeavour. Then, during a trip to their weekend home, they discovered Lake Mantasoa.
Situated about 1,400 meters (4,590 feet) above sea level, Lake Mantasoa’s temperate climate proved to be ideal for sturgeon farming. Unlike the Northern Hemisphere, where low temperatures can hinder fish growth, the lake maintains a steady temperature between 13 and 23 degrees Celsius, allowing the sturgeon to grow year-round. This unique environment also helps the fish mature two years faster than in other locations.
What began as a dream for three novices turned into a thriving business. Today, Acipenser produces caviar in both land-based and lake-based ponds, farming six different species of sturgeon.
In 2017, Acipenser introduced its first batch of premium Rova Caviar, named after the historic Madagascan Queen’s Palace in Antananarivo. At first, the idea of Madagascar, known for its vanilla, producing caviar seemed improbable to the culinary world.
“It was difficult in the beginning. Everyone laughed at us. But the only way to prove the caviar was good was to let people taste it.”
The turning point came in 2019 at the prestigious Sirha Lyon culinary expo, where Europe’s top chefs sampled Rova Caviar. Since then, it has appeared on high-end menus around the world, including at Paris’s Hôtel de Crillon and Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz. “It’s a caviar full of indulgence,” said Julia Sedefjian, France’s youngest Michelin-starred chef, who created a dish using Rova Caviar for La Grande Tablée in Paris. She described it as having “a buttery, brioche-like flavour with a hazelnut finish”.
Rova Caviar has also found popularity in Africa, appearing at high-end hotels like Le Saint-Gerán in Mauritius and Constance Lemuria and Constance Ephelia in the Seychelles.
“For chefs, it’s a selling point to serve caviar from Madagascar,” Dabezies beams.
Today, Acipenser employs around 300 people, and the company provides fish farming and caviar production training, as well as medical coverage, literacy programs, and family planning education.
“Madagascar has given us a lot, so it’s important to give back and ensure the business profits the local people and the country,” Dabezies concluded.
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[Source: CNN]
