A video that has been making rounds online has unveiled the less glamorous side of caviar production, leaving viewers both shocked and a bit nauseated.
Many who considered caviar a symbol of luxury are now questioning its appeal after seeing how the delicacy is actually harvested. Some people initially thought the process was a ‘joke,’ while others have outright labeled it ‘disgusting.’
The footage, widely shared on social media, depicts the process of extracting roe from fish in a very straightforward manner, without any elegance.
Once the video hit Twitter, it sparked amusing reactions, with one user quoting a line from Kelela’s song ‘Waitin’—a nod to a similar caviar-related video that went viral years ago.
“Stop… Lemme catch my breath,” the user humorously commented.
Another user questioned the lack of cleaning, asking: “No washing or rinsing off the eggs? Just straight up spice and to the stomach?”
One individual confessed, “Yknow…I actually thought this was a joke when I heard about it as a kid,” reflecting the disbelief many felt after viewing the footage.
Inquiries were even directed towards Twitter’s AI bot Grok regarding any potential risks from the method shown in the video.
Grok replied: “Caviar is nutritious with omega-3s, vitamins, and protein, but potential side effects include high sodium (up to 240mg per tbsp, risking blood pressure issues), allergic reactions if you’re sensitive to fish, and contaminants like mercury – especially avoid if pregnant. Food poisoning from bacteria is rare but possible if it’s not fresh. Moderation is key.”
Despite Grok’s informative response, most viewers were too unsettled by the raw imagery to focus on the health benefits.
Caviar is typically associated with upscale dining, yet the reality is far from exquisite, as it is actually the unfertilized eggs of sturgeon and other fish.
Traditionally, caviar harvesting involved killing the fish to retrieve the roe, but modern techniques like ‘no-kill’ or ‘stripping’ aim to minimize harm to the fish. Nevertheless, some still prefer killing the fish, as the quality of the eggs is believed to be better when the fish is dead.
The video’s release has rekindled discussions about the need for transparency in the food industry, specifically how well consumers understand the origins of their luxury food items.
Whether this will lead to any change remains uncertain, but caviar has definitely lost some of its allure for me.