Are fish eggs vegetarian?

[Poppy]

Before this issue came up on another board, I had never really given it much thought and had been of the opinion that of course, fish eggs (roe) weren't vegetarian. But I was told that I was wrong, and that since chicken eggs were vegetarian, of course fish eggs were too. Are they?

 

[mlp]

The difference is that fish are cut open in order to remove eggs. It's not as though humans were swimming around underwater to collect fish eggs.

Commercial caviar production historically involved stunning the fish and extracting the ovaries. Another method is extracting the caviar surgically (C section) which allows the females to continue producing roe but this method is very painful and stressful for the fish and is illegal in some countries. Other farmers use a process called "stripping", which extracts the caviar from the fish without surgical intervention. A small incision is made along the urogenital muscle when the fish is deemed to be ready to be processed. An ultrasound is used to determine the correct timing.[23] This is the most humane approach towards fish that is presently available but not all farmers use it due to the lack of knowledge in this field.[24]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caviar

ETA: For anyone who doesn't realize, the "stunning" simply means that their heads are slammed to render them immobile long enough to cut them open. It doesn't mean they're not killed - they're just not given the mercy of death before they're dissected.

 

[Poppy]

Imho, there are a couple of differences - the primary one being that the vast majority of fish are killed to harvest their eggs. The second being that fish eggs simply are not thought of as necessary to our diet as chicken eggs (especially in non-Asian diets), so why include something rarely used (and certainly not needed) in the definition?

 

[Amy SF]

I personally wouldn't consider fish eggs vegetarian (for the reasons stated above), and I avoid fish eggs. I never liked caviar that much, anyway. *strange person*

If anyone is interested, I believe there is at least one company that makes "fake"caviar. My sister got some in Whole Foods a long time ago. They are either made from or contain seaweed (for that fishy taste). I tried some. They tasted just like the caviar I once tried. In other words, salty and icky.

 

[kibbleforlola]

I've always been under the impression that they have to kill the fish to get the eggs, so not veg. I guess it's always been something that I just assumed wasn't veg but never really worried about, because caviar was never something either of my parents ate/could afford.

 

[Poppy]

I think the argument was something along the lines of: an egg is an egg is an egg and if one species' eggs are ok for vegetarians, then all eggs are ok for vegetarians. I don't agree with that though, although I'm not sure I can articulate why. I guess I believe that it's better to have a less inclusive definition of what a vegetarian can eat than to allow every possible type of egg or milk into the definition.

 

[kibbleforlola]

I think the argument was something along the lines of: an egg is an egg is an egg and if one species' eggs are ok for vegetarians, then all eggs are ok for vegetarians. I don't agree with that though, although I'm not sure I can articulate why. I guess I believe that it's better to have a less inclusive definition of what a vegetarian can eat than to allow every possible type of egg or milk into the definition.

I agree with you, and I also have difficulty articulating why.

 

[mlp]

I think it's an easy distinction - the fish are killed to get the eggs. And even in the case where the eggs are surgically removed from the ovaries without the ovaries themselves being removed (the process described in the Wiki article which is illegal in some countries because of the cruelty involved), it's the same as surgically removing anything else from an animal in order to eat it, all without benefit of anesthesia, painkillers or stitches.

 

[thefadedone]

The difference is that fish are cut open in order to remove eggs. It's not as though humans were swimming around underwater to collect fish eggs.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caviar

ETA: For anyone who doesn't realize, the "stunning" simply means that their heads are slammed to render them immobile long enough to cut them open. It doesn't mean they're not killed - they're just not given the mercy of death before they're dissected.

Horrible.

I never would consider fish eggs vegetarian. I also wouldn't consider anyone who eats them to be vegetarian.

I personally wouldn't consider fish eggs vegetarian (for the reasons stated above), and I avoid fish eggs. I never liked caviar that much, anyway. *strange person*

Do you come across them frequently? Is it a regular ingredient in your local area?

 

[mlp]

Do you come across them frequently? Is it a regular ingredient in your local area?

I think Amy lives in an area where rotten fish eggs are thrown if someone is mad at you - that's what she meant by avoiding them. I know I always duck when I see incoming fish eggs.

 

[Amy SF]

Do you come across them frequently? Is it a regular ingredient in your local area?

Yes and Yes. Remember, I live in the Los Angeles area. A lot of people with expensive tastes live here. And because the "best" caviar is super expensive, it's always been considered a status symbol. I remember my parents throwing dinner parties back in the 1970's and having caviar for their guests at least once. That's probably when I tried it and had the same reaction as Tom Hanks' character in Big.

 

[mlp]

Well, poo. I liked my story better.

 

[thefadedone]

Yes and Yes. Remember, I live in the Los Angeles area. A lot of people with expensive tastes live here. And because the "best" caviar is super expensive, it's always been considered a status symbol. I remember my parents throwing dinner parties back in the 1970's and having caviar for their guests at least once. That's probably when I tried it and had the same reaction as Tom Hanks' character in Big.

It's interesting how some of the most expensive foods are the ones where the animals experience some of the cruelest deaths (veal, foie gras, caviar, lobster).

 

[Amy SF]

It's interesting how some of the most expensive foods are the ones where the animals experience some of the cruelest deaths (veal, foie gras, caviar, lobster).

 

[Blobbenstein]

I've never had caviar, and I don't like fishy foods, but I sometime pretend that sweet corn is caviar....that's how I imagine the texture anyhow

 

[mlp]

I've never had caviar, and I don't like fishy foods, but I sometime pretend that sweet corn is caviar....that's how I imagine the texture anyhow

I've had caviar, a long time ago. As far as I can remember, it doesn't have that *pop* when you bite into it that fresh sweet corn has. The consistency is more like that of firm tapioca bubbles (without the surrounding puddingy stuff). But we're talking about thirty years ago, so take it for what it's worth.

 

[Blobbenstein]

haven't eaten tapioca either, as far as I know.

 

[mlp]

Well, then you're screwed as far as knowing what the consistency of caviar is.

 

[Blobbenstein]

I just wanted to see if Tesco sell it....all it suggested Kronenbourg!

I went to get chips with someone the other week and they bought a fish cake......it stank....he had to go down wind of me......

 

[shyvas]

It's interesting how some of the most expensive foods are the ones where the animals experience some of the cruelest deaths (veal, foie gras, caviar, lobster).

Just seeing these foods on restaurant menus and in shops makes me cringe. I loathe caviar and don't know
what all the fuss is about as it tastes very oily and salty !