Caviar as an aphrodisiac

Caviar is the processed, salted roe of certain species of fish, most notably the sturgeon. It is commercially marketed worldwide as a delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or a spread. Given its high price in the West, caviar is synonymous with luxury and wealth. In Russia and other Eastern cultures, though still expensive, caviar is commonly served at holiday feasts, weddings, and other festive occasions.

The word caviar entered English from Turkish, but there are various purported etymologies of the word. While some claim that it was the Turkish who first generated the word khavyar, some say it derives from the Persian word خاگ‌آور (Xâg-âvar), meaning "the roe-generator"; others say chav-jar, which means "cake of power", a reference to the ancient Persian practice of eating caviar in stick form as a kind of elixir. In Persian, the word refers to both the sturgeon and its roe; in Russian, the word икра (ikra), "roe", is used.

Contemporary black caviar is roe from sturgeon fished from the Caspian Sea, by Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Kazakhstan. The highest prices paid are for the Beluga, Ossetra, and Sevruga varieties. The rare, golden Sterlet caviar once was the favorite of czars, shahs, and emperors, but now that species is nearly extinct. Current, dwindling fishing yields, consequent to overfishing and pollution, have resulted in the creation of less costly, yet popular, caviar-quality roe alternatives from the whitefish and the North Atlantic salmon.

Caviar has been regarded as a love food with few peers precisely because it is so elusive, expensive and delicious. No delicacy, save truffles, would be more appreciated by anyone's paramour at today's prices, but much medical opinion also vouches for the vaunted food's aphrodisiac powers. Through chemical analysis it has been revealed that caviar does contain 47 vitamins and minerals. There are 68 grams of fat in a pound (16 ounces) of caviar, consisting of 25% cholesterol and 75% lecithin. There are only 74 calories in an ounce or 1,188 calories in a pound of caviar.

Caviar’s reputation as an aphrodisiac is perhaps also because fish and their by-products have been linked to the myth of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, who was born from the foam of the sea. Another reason for its reputation could also be that eggs were known to be a symbol of fertility. But more than anything else, because of its highly medicinal properties, most people were led to believe that it can nourish and enhance nerve cells, hence an extremely heightened romantic instincts.