((PKG))  IDAHO CAVIAR FARM   
((VOA Russian)) 
((Banner:  Some like it Fresh))
((Reporter:  Lesia Bakalets))
((Camera:  Sergey Sokolov)) 
((Adapted by:  Philip Alexiou))
((Map:  Snake River, Idaho))  
((NATS))  
((Leo Ray, Founder, Fish Breeders of Idaho)) 
We donÕtÕ know a lot about this fish and youÕre not going to learn unless you do it.
((NATS))
((Leo Ray, Founder, Fish Breeders of Idaho)) 
To spawn these, we inject the female and the male with hormonesÊand we actually take the eggs by cesarean section. 
((NATS))
((Kay Knab, Sturgeon Farm Employee, Fish Breeders of Idaho))
This fish weighs 50 pounds.ÊÊFirst thing weÕre going to do is cut her open.  ThereÕs our ovary.  Going to start right here, go up underneath the ovary, and just pull it lose from the flesh, and hereÕs our first ovary.Ê This is actually a very small ovary in comparison to some.Ê I would say this fish is going to yield about a pound of caviar, maybe two.  The idea is to get it out of the fish and into the ice as quickly as possible.Ê The colder the eggs stay, the higher the quality of the caviar.Ê If you let them warm up to room temperature, you risk the caviar getting soft, which will definitely change the quality.Ê And hereÕs our second ovary.Ê The fish will be passed outside for the girls to process and filleted and then the meat will be sold in the market.Ê ItÕs a very high-quality meat and there is a good amount of request for the meat.Ê You donÕt have to push real hard.  You just roll like this, and theyÕre coming off, and theyÕre dropping down here.  
((NATS))
((Kay Knab, Sturgeon Farm Employee, Fish Breeders of Idaho))
Just wash it once.Ê I think if someone is spending 1500 dollars on a tin of caviar, theyÕre going to notice that thereÕs bits of fat in it.Ê So, the more you can remove, the better you can make it look, the better the taste will be, and the happier your customers are going to be.  
((NATS))
((Kay Knab, Sturgeon Farm Employee, Fish Breeders of Idaho))
Some people say itÕs better to let it age a while.Ê My customers love it when I sell it immediately.Ê ThatÕs what Leo was telling you about.Ê More and more customers are liking it fresh than aged.Ê It develops a stronger flavor when itÕs aged.ÊÊ 
((NATS))
((Leo Ray, Founder, Fish Breeders of Idaho)) 
We have the healthiest sturgeon population, probably in the world, and the population here in Idaho is growing every year. 
((NATS))