Caviar calling

The business ensures optimal freshness and quality through strict processing standards. — Photos: RAJA FAISAL HISHAN

AT a 3.3-acre farm tucked in the foothills of the Titiwangsa mountains near Tanjung Malim in Perak, gold is carefully extracted. Not the metal, but the light, briny, tongue-popping delicacy often known as ‘black gold’. Here, tiny glistening eggs are harvested from farmed sturgeon before being cleaned, salted and packed in elegant gold tins.

It is the home of T’lur, Malaysia’s own locally produced luxury caviar brand, and reportedly, the first in the world to successfully cultivate caviar from coldwater fish in tropical conditions.

Enjoyed over the centuries by tsars, emperors and aristocrats, few culinary commodities carry an association with affluence and opulent indulgence like caviar. Its rarity, prestige and distinct taste, paired with its labour-intensive manual harvesting process, make it a prized import among luxury consumers around the world.

According to Research and Markets, the global caviar market was worth US$395.6 mil (RM1.86 bil) in 2023 and is projected to reach US$577.8 mil (RM2.73 bil) by 2029. Traditionally, production of caviar is carried out in regions with much cooler climes, however T’lur has been able to yield varieties like Beluga, Oscietra and Amur from its farm.

In fact, the warmer local environment plays a distinct role in making this ‘tropical caviar’ what it is, and even provides an added advantage of faster development.

“Sturgeon is a type of cold-water fish from the Acipenseridae family that normally requires an approximate temperature of 18°C to survive. During winter, it enters an inactive period and slows down in growth,” Jesslyn Jacinda, T’lur’s head of marketing, explains.

“But here, we acclimatise them to Malaysia’s tropical temperature. Hence, it is active all year round which allows it to mature faster than their usual growth rate.”

Sturgeon in residence

T’lur’s story first began with its CEO, AJ Lim, an epicure with a keen interest in aquaculture. During his early years, his travels abroad brought him to Russia, where he tried caviar for the first time. Suffice to say, the experience left an indelible mark on him.

In Malaysia, sturgeon fish are not native to local waters, making caviar that much more exclusive and difficult to source. It was only when he heard about a local sturgeon initiative that was seeking investors, that plans began to take shape.

“The sturgeon farming began close to the end of 2009, and it was an endeavour that everyone was relatively new to. It took years before the research and development came to some fruition,” Jacinda reveals.

After consulting foreign experts, Lim was told that while it was an impressive feat to have the sturgeon survive in Malaysia’s warm climate, the prospect of harvesting caviar was not likely.

“We were told not to set our hopes high for caviar, so it came as a surprise when we found caviar in one of the sturgeons during an inspection. We gave the sturgeons some more time to grow, and in 2019, T’lur Caviar was launched.”

The news of a homegrown tropical caviar producer prompted significant buzz when T’lur made its debut. However, according to Jacinda, reactions were varied at first, as the taste and concept of caviar still seemed relatively foreign to the local food culture.

“Initially, we found that the majority of people here were not very aware of caviar or what it tastes like. Hence, we place a lot of importance in awareness and knowledge about the product,” she says.

“Caviar is very much dependent on the personal palate of the eater. Some may get so addicted to its umami flavour that they can eat it on its own, while others prefer a chef’s pairing expertise that can provide an exquisite experience,” Jacinda shares.

Roe model

Over the last few years, Malaysia’s burgeoning fine dining scene has been accompanied by a growing emphasis on celebrating native ingredients and produce. With a number of prominent chefs creatively utilising locally sourced components for their gourmet menus, T’lur’s high-end offerings make it a seamless fit for partnerships.

At the moment, the business focuses much of its efforts on working with chefs and restaurant owners to supply caviar and sturgeon meat. “Sturgeon and caviar are delicate products. It takes a certain amount of skill and knowledge to best curate the experience, and we are more of a farm business than anything else,” she notes.

“Because the usage of these ingredients has only started increasing in Malaysia in recent years, we also work with our partners to conduct farm-to-table masterclasses, which help give consumers a better understanding of caviar.”

One of the key considerations when it comes to producing caviar is its highly sensitive nature and notoriously short shelf life. To ensure that the costly product remains at optimum quality and freshness, Jacinda says that strict control needs to be maintained at every stage, from processing up to storage.

“It begins with the sturgeon selection, where we choose sturgeon that have reached the right maturity and roe quality before isolating them accordingly. This is followed by a careful harvesting process in a controlled environment. Then, it is stored at a temperature within the range of -2°C to 0°C and aged for a few weeks, allowing the caviar to absorb the salt before it can be sold.”

Another difficulty faced by the business is finding adequate space to accommodate growth, given the size and needs of the sturgeon fish. “Despite being able to acclimatise sturgeon in Malaysia’s weather, it is a species that requires a good amount of space and clean water source,” she says.

By nature, sturgeons grow relatively slowly, taking years to reach maturity. On top of that, they are typically active and only swim in one direction. “To prevent them from getting stressed out, they need space to swim and grow,” she adds. “It has always been a challenge to find locations with the right balance between space and suitable water source.”

Jacinda says that one of the team’s goals is to advance and promote sturgeon as a source of protein, noting that it provides some of the highest levels of Omega-3 in fish. Looking ahead, the business is working towards expanding its farm to better meet the market’s demand and improve on product quality.

“We are also looking to create a farm that can accommodate public visitation and be a part of Malaysia’s tourism sector in the future.”

This article first appeared in Star Biz7 weekly edition.