Скачать с ютуб Increasing demand for the caviar of Italy в хорошем качестве

Increasing demand for the caviar of Italy

(17 Sep 2014) On the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, a co-operative of fishermen is striving to keep up with demand for the world's most expensive mullet roe. But in their centuries old trade, only the tide decides the market. From the gut of this mullet comes an international delicacy. Some call it the caviar of the Mediterranean, with one difference. Here, the entire ovarian sack of the fish is salted and dried to make 'bottarga' - a top notch mullet roe that is produced in the Pond of Cabras, on Sardinia's west coast. Fishermen close in on the mullets with a giant net inside a fenced area called the death chamber. A macabre dance between man and fish follows - one that has proved fruitful since the 15th century when the Spanish ruled the island. Francesco Meli is President of the New Consortium Co-operative Pontis, in Cabras. Its 150 members have exclusive fishing rights over the Cabras Pond. They are the managers of the market and the keepers of the trade. "Our fishing technique dates back to the times of the Spaniards. We have always practiced this kind of fishing, where the fish first enters the pond, then with the high tide seeks its way back to the sea. It's the same technique used by the old barons in the old Pontis fish pond. We still continue with the tradition. Our tools may have changed a bit, but the traditions remain the same, both for fishing it and cooking it," he says. Some mullets are so big that they could damage the nets, so the fishermen catch them with their bare hands. "These are bigger fish that are difficult to catch with a net, you know," says fisherman Giorgio Castangia. "You're only chance of catching them is with your own hands, the net doesn't work." But in the face of increasing demand, supply remains unpredictable - it comes and goes with the tide. Each winter, mullets seek shelter and fatten up inside the Cabras pond. But during the spring high tides, the fish swim back to the sea to lay their eggs. That's when they find the underwater fences and the fishermen ready to catch them. "The fish are still coming, so we can't know the quantity for sure, because our work depends on the year, it's all wild fish, it's not farmed, so we take what the Lord gives us," says Meli. The yearly Bottarga output can go from half a ton to three times as much. This roe is the most expensive kind in the world. A taste can cost up to $11 an ounce (0.028 grams). It's sold through personal networks and promoted by word of mouth. The savoury delicacy is treated like very expensive cheese: sliced on a plate, or grated over pasta. The Consortium restaurant is generous with their portions, but outside Cabras, Bottarga becomes a hot commodity. The consortium also imports 300 tons of mullet roe, which they cure according to tradition and export around the world. That bottarga is cheaper. It costs around $5 an ounce (0.028 grams). This year the fishermen say the season is dragging. To speed things up, they are not waiting for the mullet to reach the edges of the pond. They go out and catch the fish at night, when the mullets have fed, digested and already emptied their guts. Fisherman Silvio Massiddu says the market demands it. "We are here at 1 in the morning. The fishermen are about to sail off to test the fish and find the right time when the fish has a clean belly, to fish it." The bottarga season ends in October. The cured eggs are sold in Italy, Europe, North America and Japan. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...