Black caviar and snail boom: gastronomy business is developing rapidly in Odesa region

Black caviar and snail boom: gastronomy business is developing rapidly in Odesa region

Kyiv  •  UNN

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The Odesa region produces premium black caviar from various types of sturgeon and exports Ukrainian products to several countries, including Moldova, Taiwan, Vietnam, the UAE, and the United States, despite the challenges posed by the ongoing war.

The Odesa Sturgeon Farm produces premium black caviar from beluga, sturgeon, sterlet, and golden albino sterlet caviar. This is reported by the Department of Agricultural Policy of the Odesa Regional State Administration, UNN reports.

Odesa Sturgeon Farming Complex LLC has the status of a breeding reproducer in five areas. The main activity of the company is the reproduction of genetically pure lines of sturgeon and other native fish species that live in the Danube Delta and the North-Western Black Sea. The production facilities are located at two sites: one 77 km from Odesa, where sturgeons are raised from egg to egg, and the other in the ecological zone of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, 220 km from the city.

Despite the difficulties associated with the full-scale war, the company managed to maintain production. The products are consumed not only in the domestic market but also exported to Moldova, Taiwan, Vietnam, the UAE, and the United States.

In addition, the snail business is developing rapidly in Odesa region. Local farmers produce not only delicious snail meat, but also create delicious stuffed delicacies in various sauces. In the first five months of 2024, Ukraine exported 447 tons of shellfish, up 56% compared to the same period in 2023.