Caviar 'queen': Chinese roe reigns around the world

The country has endured embarrassing food scandals in recent years, but its sturgeon eggs have gained the respect of caviar connoisseurs around the world. It has also become pricier for US buyers as Chinese caviar is among the slew of products hit with 25 percent tariffs in the US-China trade war. The bulk of China's production comes from a picturesque lake ringed by mountains in eastern Zhejiang province where industry leader Kaluga Queen breeds the giant fish. The brand was created in 2005 by experts who worked for the ministry of agriculture and it now produces more than a third of the world's caviar, making China the global leader. The company's sturgeon farm is a 20-minute boat ride away from the shore in Qiandaohu, or Thousands Islands Lake. Qiao Yuwen, a breeder, stood at the edge of the pools where the animals live until they are between the ages of seven and 15. The biggest sturgeons can grow to be four meters (13 feet) long and weigh 300 kilos (660 pounds). "They're like our babies. We see them from when they're very young, so it's hard when they are sent to be slaughtered," Qiao said. "But there's also, of course, the satisfaction of having contributed to making an exceptional product," he said before throwing pellets containing shrimp, peas and vitamins to the fish.