Ocean Facts: The world's most expensive caviar is....

At about $25,000 for 2.2 pounds, Almas Caviar, is the most expensive caviar in the world.

This variety comes from the albino beluga sturgeon that lives in the Caspian Sea, mainly in the areas near Iran.

Although sturgeon are very long-lived, they are threatened by overfishing and habitat destruction. The albino variety are even scarcer since their lack of melanin is a genetic condition that only affects a few members of the species.

In addition, the older the fish, the more desirable the caviar. Almas Caviar is obtained from sturgeon that are 100 years old or older. As you can imagine, old, albino sturgeon can't be that easy to find.

Almas, in Russian, means diamond, and this caviar is almost as pricey, and much less permanent. As the sturgeon get older, the eggs are supposedly more aromatic and delicious with a spongier texture.

This rarity helps explain why the eggs have become the most expensive food in the world.

The Persians were the first group of people to consume, the eggs of the sturgeon fish.

The word caviar is rooted in the Persian word khag-avar, which means roe generator. They believed the delicacy enhanced the physical strength and endurance of those who ate it.

It is also known that the ancient Greeks imported caviar from the Crimea in southern Ukraine. The Romans also attributed healing and medicinal properties to caviar.

Caviar disappeared from the menu during the Middle Ages and didn't make a comeback until the 12th Century when Russian fishermen and peasants began using it as a cheap source of protein for a starving population that had endured hunger and deprivation for decades.

By the 17th Century, caviar was back on top, thanks in part to the passion for the small eggs by Peter the Great of Russia.