Which species is historically the gold standard, now extremely expensive as farmed versions dominate legal trade?
Answer
Beluga (Huso huso)
The Beluga sturgeon species has long been considered the historical gold standard for caviar excellence. Due to severe depletion in the wild, true wild Beluga caviar is now virtually extinct within legal international trade channels. Consequently, the legal supply today comes almost exclusively from farmed sources, and these farmed Beluga eggs command some of the highest prices available due to their iconic status and relative scarcity in the regulated market.
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