Africa too can proudly claim to be a source of caviar, one of the world’s greatest indulgences. Being farmed in the favorable climate and terroir of Madagascar are some very expensive fish eggs – a first for the continent.
Madagascar is known rich biodiversity, and in culinary terms, it is mostly celebrated for its unbeatable vanilla, pink peppercorns and cinnamon. Yet, the small African island is also the unexpected source of an- other exclusive luxury food item – caviar. Acipenser is the inspiring, first-ever producer of African caviar, founded by a French trio, Christophe and Delphyne Dabezies, and Alexandre Guerrier, operating out of Ambatolaona, approximately a 90-minute drive from the capital Antananarivo.
Usually served as a garnish, atop blinis and sour cream and often accompanied with champagne or sparkling wine, caviar is one of the world’s biggest indul- gences. Historically, Russia was known as the world’s top producer of caviar, up until 2007, when overfishing led to a ban on the sale and harvesting of black caviar.
Since then, China has overtaken as the largest global caviar producer with Italy and the United States not far behind them.
It wasn’t until Acipenser’s launch in 2017, that Africa could proudly claim to be a source of caviar too. The ambitious idea was first launched in 2009 by Del- phyne Dabezies and her husband Christophe, who have been in Madagascar since the end of the 1990s, and their business partner Guerrier. “This somewhat crazy idea of African caviar was born af- ter my husband Christophe saw a documentary about caviar. An obsession then emerged for Al- exandre, Christophe, and myself,” says Delphyne. “We wanted to successfully transport fertilized sturgeon eggs from Russia to Madagascar to produce the first caviar in Africa and the Indian Ocean.”
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Despite skepticism from several experts, the trio embarked on their new plan, leveraging the island’s natural resources that make it an ideal environment for sturgeon. “Lake Mantasoa… has the ideal terroir and climate for the development of such an opera- tion and is perfectly suited to sturgeon farming,” explains Delphyne.
Delphyne and Christophe are no strangers to Madagascar, their love affair with the region having started over two decades ago. “Christophe and I were sup- posed to go on a world tour,” says Delphyne. “Our first destination was Madagascar over 25 years ago, and we never left.” Acipenser is also not their first venture in Madagascar – in 1998, they founded Akanjo, a luxury textile brand.
Despite their knowledge of the country, neither Delphyne, Christophe nor Guerrier had any prior ex- perience in caviar production, but this didn’t stop them. “Christophe and Alexandre spent a lot of time on Google to figure out how to set up a fish farm,” explains Delphyne. “They came across the name of François René, a retired INRA (French National Institute for Agricul- tural Research) researcher, who was interested in our project.” René visited the team in Madagascar and began advising them on the farm’s architecture, and studied the physicochemical parameters, ultimately confirm- ing that their idea would work. “From there, we were able to build the land site in 2009 and the lake site in 2013, where we gradually received training and sup- port from numerous experts in the field.”
The Acipenser fish farm now comprises 19 large ponds, a hatchery, an area dedicated to pre-growout, a feed mill, and a processing workshop spread over more than eight hectares on the banks of a river fed by Lake Mantasoa upstream.
In addition to achieving what many thought was an impossible feat, Delphyne proudly reflects on Acipenser’s role in repopulating the elusive Iranian sturgeon species.
Initially, the Iranian sturgeon wasn’t recognized as a distinct species by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). How- ever, after its eventual discovery, the Iranian sturgeon rapidly declined and became extinct in Iran, effectively going from obscurity to disappearance almost immediately. Some years later, Acipenser’s sturgeon expert wanted to reward the team for their hard work, gifting them a seemingly innocuous black bag, with only the instruction to take the utmost care of it. Upon arrival in Madagascar, the farm’s collaborators quickly realized that this gift was the elusive Iranian sturgeon.
“This achievement was officially acknowl- edged in December 2017 with a visit from the Iranian Minister of Agriculture to the Acipenser farm,” adds Delphyne. “Since 2018, this species has been gradually reintroduced into the farms, but will remain very rare for many years to come,” she continues. This regeneration story is key to under- standing Acipenser’s commitment to their product because the sturgeon – and their welfare – is of utmost priority.
According to Delphyne, the sturgeon’s comfort and pre-serving the ecosystem is ultimately linked to the sustainability of the business as a whole. The lake’s water quality undergoes rigorous monitoring, ensuring the oxygen levels and temperature remain optimal, allowing the team to prepare for and respond to any challenging episodes throughout the year. “For example, in case of oxygen deficiency, it is important to reduce feeding so that the fish do not waste their energy, as they consume more energy during digestion,” she says.
To provide more growing space, sturgeons can be moved to a new farming structure, which is also critical for their wellbeing and ensuring there is sufficient surface area for each fish to feed. The sturgeon’s growth is an essential performance in- dicator and is constantly monitored. “It is important to feed them sufficiently without overfeeding to prevent them from developing more fat than caviar,” says Delphyne.
In addition to this meticulous care, Acipenser’s vertical inte- gration ensures full control over production, resulting in top-tier caviar. The sturgeon feed is created within the farm itself, composed of natural ingredients sourced from mainly local agriculture, purchased as close to the farm as possible to minimize carbon footprint. “The food’s quality has an undeniable impact on the fish flesh and, of course, on its caviar. No antibiotics or hormones are ad- ministered in the farming process,” adds Delphyne. She also credits the surrounding environment for contributing to a stellar finished product, saying that the Malagasy climate and terroir contribute greatly to the sturgeon’s growth and maturation.
“It creates a rare and varied array of colors across all caviars and these unique characteristics are also linked to the adherence to high- quality farming practices,” she explains. Currently, Acipenser produces six different caviar varieties, including Siberian sturgeon (Baeri caviar), Russian sturgeon (Ossetra caviar) Beluga (Beluga caviar) and Iranian sturgeon (Caviar Iranien). The company distributes the caviar via three channels, namely Rova Caviar, Krasnodar Caviar and a white-label brand called ADC.
All of these factors contribute to an exemplary product, but the biggest testament to quality is the flavor. Delphyne suggests enjoying their caviar with as few additions as possible, so the flavor and characteristics of each variation shine through, but the caviars clearly lend them- selves well to other culinary applications.
In nearby Antananarivo, chef Lalaina Rav- elomanana, the Madagascan caviar ambas- sador, has a dedicated caviar section on the menu at his restaurant Marais. Further afield in Cape Town, South Africa, FYN restaurant tops a tamagoyaki (Japanese-style omelette) with Acipenser’s caviar. Ashley Moss, FYN’s culinary director, says the caviar adds a salty, briny element to the dish, but he also favors using African caviar because of a sense of locality.
When creating dishes, we like them to be representative of a place and time. Using African ingredients in Africa gives you provenance,” says Moss.
At Salsify Restaurant, head chef Ryan Cole uses the caviar in a lightly poached abalone dish, which he says brings acidity and balance to an overall rich dish. “It’s a beautiful product and up there with some of the best available in South Africa right now,” says Cole. “Naturally, our sustainable ethos means we’re constantly looking to source as close to home as possible and Madagascar is the closest place we can currently source caviar from.”
Acipenser’s story reminds us that with the right intentions, research and determination, there is nothing that Africa can’t do. The by-product of this caviar also adds more meaning to a luxury item – food donations to schools and orphanages, and job and business creation are just some of the ways Acipenser has bene- fitted economic growth for the region. This isn’t just about producing a highly sought-after food, it’s about the impact it can have on a small African country. “In addition to marketing a luxury product, we are marketing the know-how of Madagascar and the African continent, which should be appreciated internationally for its natural and hu- man wealth,” adds Delphyne.
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