Per Sé: why the most demanding palates taste like caviar
Per Sé: why the most demanding palates taste like caviar
Caviar Pirinea is the dream of two French aquaculture enthusiasts: Arnault Chaperon and Laurent Villaeys-Sakalian. Attracted by the sector from their youth, they decided to share their common values and their respective knowledge, all of which was acquired over their long careers of more than 25 years in different countries and with various species. All that materialized in 2013 with the creation of the company Caviar Pirinea.
After purchasing the El Grado Fish Farm in Huesca, built in the 1990s, they decided to continue dreaming and bought two other historic plants in the Pyrenees: one in Oliván (also in Huesca) and one in Yesa (in Navarre). With those plants, Caviar Pirinea has become the main breeder of trout and sturgeon in Spain and the main producer of caviar, as well as being one of the largest distributors of related products that come from these fish.
The Yesa plant is the oldest of the group, having been built in the mid-60s. Said plant is also the largest, with a surface area of 14 hectares and 70,000 m³ of farming space. This large facility features environmental protection mechanisms, such as a defense structure measuring more than two kilometers in length to avoid floods from the Aragón River, as well as a green filter area that is used to collect and purify the water (to respect the water quality of the river). The ponds with natural river gravel bottoms give the fish a wilder and truly unique taste. Likewise, the fact that the water circulates naturally through the ponds, being used only once, ensures unparalleled product quality.
Caviar Pirinea’s fish farming activities have adapted to the environmental characteristics of each valley, preserving their biodiversity through sustainable practices. In the case of the Yesa fish farm, the Acipenser naccarii species is raised there – the native sturgeon that populated the Mediterranean coast, especially the Guadalquivir river, until it practically became extinct in the natural environment. For this reason, it can be defined as an exclusively Spanish sturgeon: the only one capable of spawning after fourteen years of life (the females need at least 14 years to reach maturity and produce the much appreciated caviar – the authentic Iberian caviar, one of the best in the world).
The exclusivity and scarcity of the naccarii species of sturgeon explains its limited and unique production process. Its flavor –complex and elegant– is initially characterized by its intensity, a penetrating marine taste that leads to creamy nuances reminiscent of nuts like walnuts and fresh almonds and with a sea oyster aftertaste. In terms of its organoleptic properties, it reminds one of caviar obtained from the extinct wild Ossetra sturgeons. Its colors range to include dark gray, brown, golden brown, light brown, and albino. Its texture is smooth and free flowing; it explodes delicately in one’s mouth, releasing its amalgam of aromas and flavors.
This caviar is sold under the name Per Sé, referring to the traditional Iranian (Persian) method of making caviar and using Latin etymology to highlight the product’s authenticity, and in the Basque Country it is represented by caviar expert Asier Auge, who has a boutique in the Old Quarter of San Sebastián. In this establishment, in addition to Navarrese caviar, they also sell Per Sé Baerii caviar, from the Siberian sturgeon native to Lake Baikal (Acipenser baerii), raised at the El Grado fish farm. Introduced in Western Europe in the early 1990s, this is the species that has most adapted and developed in aquaculture. Approximately 8 years of care and technical and professional monitoring are necessary before producing Baerii caviar. Baerii is a balanced and harmonious caviar featuring a marine taste at the beginning which intensifies until the end, releasing delicate nuances along the way. It is very creamy and long-lasting in the mouth, with a very subtle sea aftertaste. Its colors range among shades of brown, dark gray, black, and –exceptionally– golden brown and green. Its texture is firm, smooth, and creamy.
The high quality of Per Sé caviar, its characteristic flavor, and the fact that it is a local product have made its presence a “must” in the kitchens of gastronomy lovers and the best Basque chefs.
Asier Auge Caviar
Calle General Echagüe 2, San Sebastián.
