Madagascar just pulled off the unthinkable, going toe-to-toe with Russia, Iran, and China in the elite world of caviar. The island nation best known for its tropical beaches and lemurs is now Africa's first producer of "black gold," the luxurious delicacy that sells for over $5,000 USD per kilogram.
What started in 2009 as an ambitious gamble by three French entrepreneurs - Delphyne and Christophe Dabezies, along with their friend Alexandre Guerrier — has transformed into a growing business that's challenging traditional caviar-producing nations. Their company, Acipenser, produces Rova Caviar, which has already made its presence felt in Europe's Michelin-starred restaurants.
Image: Rova Caviar Madagascar What Is Caviar?
Caviar isn't just food - it's a status symbol. The jet-black, shiny pearls are sturgeon eggs, a long-established delicacy enjoyed by tsars, royalty, and those with deep pockets. With its salty, subtle taste and nutty undertones, true caviar comes from wild sturgeon species like the Beluga, Osetra, and Sevruga, mostly found in the Caspian and Black Sea regions.
However, the dominance of the Caspian Sea is not what it once was. With sturgeon populations in the wild declining because of excessive catching, the industry has moved towards regulated cultivation.
Image: Caviar Hub
Despite the modern inventions, the process of caviar farming is painstakingly precise. Sturgeon farming requires extreme care, with ultrasound scans used to determine the perfect moment to harvest the roe. And while there are 27 known species of sturgeon, the rarest and most expensive is the Beluga sturgeon, whose roe can have prices of up to $20,000 per kilogram.
Madagascar's Rova Caviar has also come up as an unexpected contender, proving that controlled farming is reshaping the industry. And while there's no doubt that the island has pulled off what once seemed impossible, the real question is how a tropical island managed to break into the world of caviar — which was long dominated by Russia, Iran and lately, China.
The Journey BeginsThe turning point came when Delphyne, who had been residing in Madagascar for over three decades, along with her partners, discovered a perfect location: Lake Mantasoa, 1,400 meters above sea level.
Unlike the cold Caspian Sea, where sturgeon grows at an extremely slow pace due to low temperatures, Lake Mantasoa's mild climate, at 25 degrees Celsius, has proven to be a game-changer. Here, the fish grew faster, speeding up the process of generating caviar without impacting quality. The journey had not been easy, of course. The first attempts at importing sturgeon eggs from France had been unsuccessful, but in 2013, the trio finally succeeded in importing 35,000 eggs into Madagascar.
Image: Rova Caviar Madagascar
Fast-forward to today, and Acipenser is home to over 60,000 fish, including six sturgeon breeds worth their weight in gold — Beluga, Russian, Siberian, and Starry, among others. The company releases male sturgeons to local fishermen (as they do not produce caviar), while female sturgeons are nurtured for caviar production in a state-of-the-art hatchery before being moved to the lake. Each fish may take up to ten years to reach its full size.
Ensuring good quality of the caviar also requires serious investment. The farm's enclosures which are custom-built from 31 miles of rope took a full month to build. Feeding the fish properly also costs $130,000 USD a month, but cutting corners isn't an option either because underfed sturgeon take twice as long to develop, delaying production even further.
Once the roe is ready, ultrasound scans determine the perfect harvest time. Each egg is properly cleaned and sorted. Discoloured eggs that don't meet the company's standards are removed to ensure that only the finest quality caviar is preserved. Then the eggs are salted before being refrigerated for four months, allowing them to develop the signature nutty flavour that sets Rova Caviar apart from the rest.
Breaking into the Global MarketThe company saw its first eggs hatch into fish in 2017, and by 2019, Madagascar's caviar had made its debut on the global stage — barely two years after its initial production. 90% of its productions today end up on the European continent, and it has been welcomed into 15 Michelin-starred restaurants.
Image: Reuters
But the company isn't stopping there. By 2027, Rova Caviar expects its most-priced Beluga fish to produce caviar. With its smooth texture and unmatched taste, Beluga caviar can retail for up to $20,000 USD a kilogram. If all goes according to plan, Madagascar won't just be an unexpected player in the caviar industry — it'll be a force to be reckoned with.
Social ImpactAcipenser is, without a doubt, transforming Africa's luxury food scene but it is also focused on the social welfare of the African community. More than 80% of the company's workforce comes from the surrounding area, with employees receiving free housing (complete with gyms and mini theatres), medical insurance, and three meals a day. In a country where stable employment is hard to come by, the company is not only providing jobs but also a future.
Madagascar's success with its "black gold" isn't just an agricultural win — it's a story of determination and ingenuity. In a market long dominated by old-world powerhouses, this island nation has made Africa's presence felt, putting the continent on the map for the world's premium delicacy.
Read the full article African Nation Strikes Edible ‘Black Gold’—And It’s Worth Over $5,000 Per Kilo on DMARGE. Don’t miss it!
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