The other day, I decided to splurge and buy some red caviar for the New Year’s table at a Polish shop in Plymouth. The price was quite steep, of course — £15 for a 50-gram jar. In Ukraine, a similar jar cost about 150 hryvnias three years ago. And even if we convert that amount into pounds at the exchange rate at the time, it would still come to around £5, not £15. Fifteen pounds at the current exchange rate is approximately 750 hryvnias, and for that price one could buy black caviar. Well, perhaps a little more expensive — around 900–950 hryvnias (and even more, by the way, as genuine black caviar can be incredibly costly). But that is not what we are talking about today.

By the way, I ended up buying black caviar instead — and not in the Polish shop. They had sold out of all the natural caviar, and only artificial caviar remained, priced at £1.50. As you can imagine, we did not buy it. I should add that we later bought “natural” black caviar elsewhere for the same £15 — actually at a better price than I had originally expected. Looking ahead, I must say that our joy was short-lived: in the end, that black caviar turned out to be not much different from the cheap £1.50 Polish version. That’s life!

This unjustifiably high price is probably due to the almost complete absence of both red and black caviar in English shops. Locals simply do not understand its very specific taste, and the origin of this delicacy clearly makes them wary. Fish eggs — not everyone can appreciate that! Just as many foreigners do not understand our love for things they consider sour: kefir, sauerkraut and the like.

Of course, we do not always understand foreign delicacies either. For example, chickens that have already grown feathers while still inside their eggshells and are eaten in that state — a favourite dish in Cambodia. And rats — whether fried or boiled — are also, to put it mildly, not something we eat. But I have gone off on a tangent. After all, we are not talking about creepy rodents or half-formed chicks here, but about something delicious. More specifically, red caviar — which is not only delicious, but also incredibly healthy.

So let us refocus and take a closer look at the beneficial properties of this wonderful product. Caviar contains large amounts of vitamins A, B, D, PP and E, which are essential not only for maintaining normal bodily functions, but also for strengthening the skeletal system, improving vision, stimulating metabolism and boosting immunity. Moreover, the presence of these vitamins makes caviar an excellent aid in the prevention of atherosclerosis.

Red caviar also contains large amounts of easily digestible protein, folic acid, phosphorus, iodine, calcium and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Incidentally, the protein in this remarkable product is truly easy to digest, as it is processed by the body much more easily than milk protein — let alone meat protein.

As for iron, which is extremely important for blood formation, this wonderful caviar is also a clear leader. Even compared with apples, which are considered rich in iron, red caviar contains around 30 times more — approximately 30 mg of iron per 100 g of product. And there is no need to elaborate on omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for our heart and blood vessels: just one ounce of red caviar contains about 1,000 milligrams of them.

So, what conclusion can we draw from today’s article? Although it is an expensive treat, it is clearly worth it. Just please do not ruin all the benefits of caviar with white, fluffy, destructive bread! If you want to make sandwiches for a gathering, choose dark rye bread or crispbread — they will taste excellent, and the health benefits of the caviar will remain intact. In short, it is nothing but goodness — and what is more, it is pure, heavenly bliss!