China - July 24, 2024

Southwest China's Sichuan grows to world's second largest caviar producer

(Voice_over)

Sichuan Province in southwest China is known for its hot and spicy cuisine, but beyond its fiery flavors, the region is also making waves as a major player on the global caviar scene.

With locally produced caviar exported to more than 30 countries and regions around the world, Sichuan is the world's second largest producer of the so called "black gold".

At the province's biggest sturgeon farming base in Tianquan County, workers routinely perform ultrasound scans on the fish to determine the optimal time for caviar extraction.

The harvested eggs are salted for seven to eight months before they’re ready to eat.

To facilitate exports of the costly delicacy, customs authorities in the province have launched a "green channel" for expedited clearance.

Data shows that caviar output in Tianquan County increased from 20 tons in 2019 to 60 tons last year, with Tianquan alone accounting for roughly 13 percent of the world's total caviar production.

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