News/July 2025

How Is Caviar Produced?

From sturgeon farming to roe refinement, caviar production is a delicate balance of expertise, precision, and respect for life. This meticulous process highlights the essential stages of a rare craftsmanship dedicated to taste, quality, and a sustainable approach.

An Exacting Process in Service of Taste and Quality

Maison Rova Caviar is one of the rare few in the world to produce its caviar in a fully artisanal manner, from farm to table. This complete mastery of the production chain, from sturgeon farming to final tinning, ensures exceptional quality at every step.

The farm is located on Lake Mantasoa, a preserved natural site. Fed exclusively by rainwater, this exceptional lake offers ideal, pristine conditions for breeding sturgeon, ancient fish whose roe becomes an exceptional caviar.

Across its two sites, one on land and the other on the lake, large basins allow the sturgeon to grow at their natural rhythm. A rigorous daily monitoring system is in place: temperature, oxygen levels, pH, and water turbidity are measured to ensure the fish’s optimal well-being.

This commitment to quality extends to their diet. The Acipenser farm has its own feed production unit — a true center of expertise — where over 50 tons of food are produced locally each month. The feed is crafted without antibiotics or hormones, using rigorously selected ingredients: non-GMO plant-based flours, soybean meal, tuna meal, and blue fish oil.This carefully managed nutritional autonomy ensures the health of the fish, the quality of their flesh, and most importantly, the finesse of the roe, a critical factor in producing exceptional caviar. The unique flavor of caviar is cultivated from the earliest stages of the sturgeon’s life. Each species follows a long and demanding natural cycle, one that requires a rare ingredient: patience. It takes an average of six years to produce Baeri caviar, seven years for Ossetra, and up to twenty years for the legendary Beluga, known for its exceptionally large grains.

Patience, respect, and mastery are the founding values that give birth to rare caviar, a symbol of excellence and authenticity. Each tin reflects exceptional care, containing grains of extraordinary finesse and purity that speak of a unique terroir and incomparable artisanal expertise. This level of exacting quality is expressed in every egg, every pearl, savored with reverence in a tasting ritual defined by pure elegance.

A Mastered Craft, from Grain to Tin

When the sturgeon reach full maturity, the roe is harvested with the utmost care. Each grain is then manually sorted, cleaned to perfection, and delicately salted following the traditional malossol method. The salt used is specifically selected to preserve the caviar’s natural flavor: Ossetra unveils refined hazelnut notes, Baeri captivates with its subtlety and smoothness, while Persicus offers a deeper, more assertive salinity, a nod to the authentic caviar of the past.

Each sturgeon species yields a distinct caviar, a unique product with an unmistakable flavor. At Rova, every step of production is carried out in-house under strict control, ensuring full traceability and consistent quality. The laboratory maintains the highest standards, and each egg, each delicate pearl, and each tin of caviar proudly bears the Rova signature, a mark of authentic luxury, deeply connected to nature and matured patiently in pure waters.

The care invested in every stage, the unwavering respect for the original flavor, and the pursuit of excellence make Rova Caviar one of the world’s most prestigious producers. It is a true treasure of taste, born from time, the purity of nature, and refined French craftsmanship, caviar of incomparable finesse, meant to be savored like a rare emotion, reflecting an elegant way of life rooted in an exceptional terroir.

A Responsible Maison: Where Luxury, Humanity, and Place Intertwine

Rova Caviar represents a new model of responsible caviar production, one that combines gastronomic excellence, social responsibility, and deep local roots. Environmental preservation is at the core of every decision. The farming practices are designed to minimize ecological impact while maintaining the highest quality standards.

Acipenser, the first sturgeon farm in Africa and the Indian Ocean, plays an active role in preserving the species, protecting Lake Mantasoa’s water quality, and supporting the local communities. This story extends beyond taste, embracing strong human and sustainable values. The nets used in the ponds are handwoven according to ancestral traditions, and every fish, every roe, every tin carries a local signature.

Furthermore, once the roe is harvested, the sturgeon flesh is donated to charitable organizations, enabling over 11,500 children to receive essential protein each year. In this way, quality surpasses simple culinary pleasure to touch lives, enrich communities, and protect the environment.

This responsible management of resources is paired with a lasting commitment to staff training, biodiversity education, and the continuous improvement of practices. Rova Caviar proves that luxury and environmental consciousness can together shape the future of fine gastronomy. Every product embodies the precision and commitment of the Maison, a refined expression of care, terroir, and timeless excellence.