Caviar Dreams

Gr 9–12—Incorporating archival film footage and photographs, this short documentary explores the history of a luxury delicacy. Once plentiful, caviar was at one time considered food for the poor. Talking-head comments by a historian, as well as a fishmonger, caviar farmer, and consumers, discuss the love of sturgeon roe, now a scarce and endangered commodity. Since sturgeons are very long lived and may take decades to mature, the over-harvesting of the fish eventually led to a ban on sturgeon fishing. The embargo then resulted in massive poaching and a rise to astronomical heights in the cost of the product. Today, sturgeons are farmed for their eggs, a process which is considered more environmentally sound. Although the program offers some historical and environmental background, its scattershot approach to the information provided makes it somewhat questionable for classroom use.