Ali Reza Korouji of Imperial Caviar has been a friend of Browne Trading and a trusted source of the world's best caviar for decades. Initially, he sourced wild beluga, osetra, and sevruga caviar from the Caspian Sea, until new regulations from CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) banned the trade of wild sturgeon in 2008. After these new and necessary protective laws were enacted, Imperial became a pioneer of the emerging sturgeon aquaculture industry. Ali and Imperial are now the principal consultants for the Kaluga Queen farm in China, where sturgeon are raised in open pens, allowing them to thrive in conditions that mirror their natural habitat. As part of their consulting fee, Imperial selects the best sturgeon from these stocks and then transports them to Germany, where their team of caviar professionals turn out some of the most visually striking caviar on the market.