Description
The Kalix Löjrom PDO are salted, frozen or raw fish eggs from the Coregonus albula L. species (vendace).
Production Area
The production area of Kalix Löjrom PDO covers the administrative lands of some municipal areas in the county of Norrbotten, whilst the sea covers until 40 km from the coast in the Gulf of Bothnia.
Production Method
Fishing is made by expert fishers, certified by the Swedish Board of Fisheries, between September 20th and end October. Fishing cannot start before six am and has to stop within six pm. Only female fishes are selected: the eggs' extraction has to take place by hand and without the support of any machine. With a quick gesture the belly of animals is opened and the sacs with eggs are squeezed. About two tea spoons of eggs are extracted from sacs and all the eggs contained have to be processed within six hours. Therefore, they are washed at least three times to separate the eggs from sacs within this period. Then they are sieved (sieving has to take place within 10 minutes from washing) and left to drain. When dry, they can be salted adding only 4% of fine sea salt and then packed.
Appearance and Flavour
Kalix Löjrom PDO are orange in colour and feature a variable size depending on the moment of fishing (0.8-1.3 mm). They have a full taste, lightly salty but delicate with an aroma of fish oil.
History
The vendace fishing in the Gulf of Bothnia boasts a long and well-rooted tradition and the use of the eggs from this fish to produce the so-called "red caviar" is by now an undisputed art. The process is still made completely by hand, the result of the experience of excellent operators who have acquired an undisputed skill and passed their know-how from generation to generation.
Gastronomy
Very delicate, Kalix Löjrom PDO has to be stored in a cool place for a rather short time. It must be kept fresh until the moment to eat it and also on the table it is better to immerse its container in crushed ice. The most traditional way to eat it is accompanied with toasted bread, butter and lemon, but it can be combined with acid cream and onion: in this case, it is perfect with a glass of beer. For a more sophisticated combination - with champagne, for example - it is better to leave aside onion and to fully enjoy of the taste of Kalix Löjrom PDO.
Marketing
The product is sold as Kalix Löjrom PDO. It is sold frozen or defrozen, in suitable pots with variable weight, or raw, but only during the fishing periods.
Distinctive Features
Kalix Löjrom PDO stands out due to its good quality thanks to the pure waters where vendaces live and to their diet, which consists essentially of plankton crustaceans, insect larvae and minerals: these elements make this product unique in terms of appearance and taste.
