Where is the World Capital of Precious Caviar?
BANDAR-E ANZALI (Port of Anzali on Caspian Sea), Gilan Province, North Iran. In a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere its inhabitants and seamen on shore-leave stroll during the evenings and during the whole of Friday in the public garden which follows the coast road on the right bank of the channel linking Anzali Lake to the sea. When you become tired of walking, you can sit down on a small wooden stool, have a cup of burning-hot tea (Chai) and nibble pounds of pistachios while watching the boatmen wielding with calculated slowness the oars of their gaily coloured craft. Bandar-e Anzali is the capital of Caviar. The preparation and marketing of the precious black eggs is a state monopoly, handled through “The Iranian Fishing Company” coming under the Finance Ministry. The public is not admitted to the immense refrigerated hangers (-18 degrees centigrade) where tons of Sturgeons, monsters between 2 and 3 meters long weighing between 75 and 100 Kilograms (the record is a 850 Kg sturgeons) a
