Definition of Citrus Caviar

Citrus caviar, also called vegetable caviar, is not actually any type of caviar (remember that caviar is sturgeon roe). Citrus caviar is a wild fruit of a bush native to Australia, whose scientific name is Microciturus Australasica. The reason why this fruit is called caviar is due to the similarity between the balls that are in the fruit and the appearance of the caviar.

Key aspects of the fruit and its main culinary uses

It has a cylindrical shape and is similar in size to the finger of a hand. It has a different color according to its degree of maturation, which can be yellow, green or red.

In recent years the so-called gourmet food has popularized a series of new products and food. One of the newest is precisely citrus caviar. It is used to flavor seafood and fish and is highly valued in Asian cuisine for its characteristic acid taste. On the other hand, it is appreciated in the world of cocktails and also as a complement to the most sophisticated pastries.

Citrus caviar in Australian Aboriginal culture and its evolution

The Australian aborigines have been consuming this fruit for thousands of years. For them the consumption This fruit had a double function: the enrichment of the flavor of other foods (especially fish) and, on the other hand, the nutritional contribution. In this sense, it should be noted that although primitive peoples did not know the properties of food, they did have a intuitive idea about its benefits and in this case his intuition was correct, since citrus caviar is a source of vitamin C.

In the last decades the Australian aboriginal culture is recovering in all orders and also in relation to the tradition gastronomic. It must be remembered that the Australian aborigines have been oppressed by the different governments and at present there is an attempt to return to the aborigines what was taken from them (their language, their traditions and their way of understanding life).

East movement political and cultural restitution is also embodied in the gastronomy. The recovery of culinary traditions is known as Bush food. The Bush food approach is very simple: consume food while respecting the rhythms of nature. One of the foods that have been rescued is citrus caviar, but we must not forget others, such as acacia seeds, mistletoe, worms, honey or flower nectar.

Bush food as a new gastronomic trend is not a phenomenon exclusive to Australia, but there are other similar trends around the planet, such as Slow food, macrobiotic food or veganism. In all these currents a new way of understanding food is advocated, with healthier consumption criteria and a greater I respect to the environment.

Photos: iStock - Emilie Duchesne