Experience the ultimate blend of adventure and indulgence on the St. John River, where caviar isn’t just a luxury—it’s a way of life. Join Anita Draycott for this one-of-a-kind Caviar Master Class with Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar, offering a deeper appreciation for sustainable fishing and fine dining.
It’s nine a.m. I’m having my first caviar fist bump of the day, washed down with a flute of Grand Cru Champagne. No, I’m not at a five-star resort in France; I’m at a campsite in Carters Point, less than 45-minutes from the city of Saint John. The camp lies about 50 metres from the St. John River in New Brunswick, on a sunny July morning. I’ve enrolled in Cornel Ceapa’s Sturgeon Safari and Caviar Master Class. Ceapa and his family own Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar.
He is one of the few scientists in the world with a PhD in sturgeon biology, specifically the Sevruga species and I’m about to get a crash course at one of of the most incredible food experiences in New Brunswick.
A Caviar Master Class in the Wild
Our day began at the crack of dawn in a small skiff on the St. John River piloted by Captain Ceapa. He motored alongside another boat where two fishermen had just netted and hauled three sturgeons. Ceapa nimbly hops into the other boat, flips each fish over and sticks a biopsy needle into their bellies to check the sex and condition of the eggs, assuring me the needle won’t hurt the fish.
One is a male that will have an ultrasonic tag surgically implanted for further research and then released. Another is a “spent” female who has already produced eggs, so Ceapa will also let her go, as it takes 15 years to produce eggs. The third female has eggs that are good for harvesting and will be taken back to Ceapa’s processing plant.
Ceapa is fastidious about practising sustainable methods. In other parts of the world, sturgeon have been put on the endangered species list, but here in New Brunswick, the population is actually increasing. Cornel has a quota of 350 adult Atlantic sturgeon per year—50% males and 50% females.
Back on land, I watch Ceapa’s son, Michael, the “sturgeon surgeon,” processing the catch of the day in the sterile packaging plant operating room. Acadian Sturgeon believes in nose-to-tail utilization, so every part of the fish is butchered and sold, from the bone marrow to the gas bladder, which is considered a delicacy in Asia.
Male testicles are sold to Italy for cosmetics. Intestines go to a Chinese restaurant in Toronto. There is no waste. The loin, belly, groundfish, fins, marrow, offal and cartilage are all packaged and sold. They also produce paté and smoked sturgeon loin. Of course, the star of the sturgeon bounty is the caviar from the eggs. Ceapa works with various chefs to develop exclusive recipes for each product.
Champagne, Sturgeon, and Sustainability: Caviar 101
Our caviar tasting included three kinds: Acadian Wild, the only sustainable wild caviar in the world, Acadian Gold and Acadian Emerald. Which brings us back to those caviar fist bumps, the traditional caviar-tasting method. Using a spoon made of mother-of-pearl, as metal might alter the flavour, Ceapa puts a large dollop of the Gold on my fist.
“Real caviar prepared naturally (without borax) doesn’t pop; it melts in your mouth with a delightful umami taste—buttery and rich with tinges of the sea,” says Ceapa.
Next, we try the Gold with some chilled vodka and then sake. Ceapa wants us to notice how differently the caviar tastes with each tipple. His mantra for how to eat caviar. Cleanse palate with water or Champagne, hold caviar on your tongue, slowly crush the eggs to let their flavour develop, cleanse palate. Repeat. And we do repeat with the other two caviars, noticing the varying nuances in flavours.
“Caviar is an experience. It is not an acquired taste. You want to eat it in the right atmosphere, to share it with people you love and respect to celebrate and cherish the gourmet experience,” he says. I learned that caviar is one of the few luxury foods that is actually good for you as it’s high in polyunsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals.
Fishing for Luxury: An Indulgent Picnic
Ceapa suggests we move to the table, and he introduces us to his wife, Dorina. They met as high school sweethearts in Romania, immigrated to Canada in 2003 and started Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar as a family business in 2005.
We are about to enjoy a multi-course menu cooked by the company chef, Markian Shafransky, that will show off the versatility of caviar and sturgeon. We begin with freshly shucked New Brunswick oysters topped generously with Wild Atlantic caviar, a perfect pairing.
Ceapa demonstrates how to sabre another bottle of Champagne. An amuse bouche of sturgeon ceviche marinated in lime and yuzu follows. Next, we are served a trio of cured sturgeon: smoked pate on a beet salad, gravlax, and smoked loin garnished with calendula flower petals.
The chef’s ability to create such intricate plates is even more remarkable, considering he works out of a mobile trailer and cooks on an outdoor grill. I may have forgotten a few of the dishes, as Chef was very generous with pourings of more bubbly and premium wines, but I do recall a chowder from smoked sturgeon in a potato-thickened broth with chives, sturgeon, and Wagyu beef filets topped with caviar with a side of asparagus and cherry tomatoes.
The finale was white chocolate panna cotta topped with more caviar. An odd combo, I thought, but Chef tells me caviar and white chocolate make an ideal pairing. I will probably never consume this much caviar again in my life.
More Than Caviar: A Commitment to Conservation
After brunch, Ceapa walks us over to the hatchery, where they artificially reproduce shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon and produce baby sturgeon, which are moved through a series of tanks as they grow to maturity, which takes about ten years.
Ceapa’s fascination with sturgeon, from the first ones he studied in the waters of Romania to the impressive sustainable business his family runs today in New Brunswick, is a testament to his passion and commitment to “save the species.” Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar not only sells its products all over the world but also ships fertilized eggs and larvae for restocking to sturgeon farms in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. to help repopulate the species.
The Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar Safari/Master Class is a one-of-a-kind culinary adventure and a true Canadian success story.
How to Book Your Own Sturgeon Safari and Caviar Master Class
The Sturgeon Safari, which includes a boat excursion and tour of the hatchery and processing plant, followed by the Caviar Master Class, which includes tastings and a multi-course lunch, costs $600 plus 15% tax. This is offered only in May and July when they are fishing.
The Caviar Master Class costs $350 plus 15% tax and is available year-round. To book, you can email them here.
Caviar Trivia
All caviar is fish roe, but not all fish roe is caviar. Caviar must come from one of the 27 species of sturgeon on the planet – no other type of fish roe counts as caviar.
If it doesn’t come from sturgeon, it’s not real caviar.
It takes a minimum of ten years to produce high-quality caviar and sturgeon. Premium caviar is harvested, salted and packed in tins by hand. That is why it is expensive.
Caviar has been called black gold, but it comes in many other colours including grey, green, gold and coral.
The shelf life of caviar is four weeks under refrigeration.
Serve caviar using a mother of pearl, bone or wood spoon, as metals alter the taste.
In the seventies and eighties, Russian pediatricians recommended feeding caviar to children suffering from low levels of hemoglobin and iron. It was also added to the rations of the military.
July 18 of every year is National Caviar Day, so pop open a tin and a bottle of Champagne and become a caviar connoisseur.
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Anita Draycott is a Canadian travel journalist, photographer, and editor who has visited over 100 countries. She lives to eat and makes it her mandate to find the best restaurants, cafés, and culinary experiences wherever she goes. She has attended cooking classes all over the planet—from finding the right spices combos for Pad Thai in Bangkok to learning to make linguine from scratch in Italy. Hunting for truffles in Croatia, touring wineries in Bordeaux, and exploring the street food of Istanbul are all in a delicious day’s work for Anita.
Steve and I both read this article and loved it. So interesting and informative.