Caviar 101

Ever wondered how many wild sturgeons live on the US territory, or better put, how many lived before the caviar boom at the beginning of the 20th century?

Caviar was once considered the food of the aristocracy and Russia’s true black gold. However, I can assure you that these days caviar is well in the reach of the “common” men (or women). Some brands are still only reserved for the most upper class, but luckily not all.

Caviar, the food often connected with high-end events, parties, and cocktail receptions. Once consumed freely by everybody for a peanut of its today’s price, it steadily grew in value and popularity. Learn more about the process before it gets to your plate.

You see, caviar is not reserved for the rich, these days you can buy a single person serving – 14 grams, for as little as $30. Of course the price goes up from there, so if  your bank account allows, you can aim for rarer, higher-end delicacies.

Vodka, a true mastery of distilled corn, wheat or potatoes. It packs a unique clear punch that freezes the taste buds and purifies the soul (or at least that’s what they say in Russia). Combining these two, you can see how the buttery and salty caviar makes a perfect base for the brisk cold vodka.

WHAT IS CAVIAR? – THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

IS SALMON ROE CAVIAR? Salmon roe has been and still is a part of many national cuisines. The orangey-red color is the trademark of salmon roe, but it’s not just the color that sets black caviar apart from red caviar. 

There are 26 known species of the Acipenseridae family, more commonly known as the Sturgeon family. Each type of fish produces roe that is different. Different taste, color, texture, firmness and quality.

CAVIAR, IKURA, TOBIKO AND MASAGO -  Whoa, whoa there, that’s a lot of different names, where do we start from? 

Beluga tastes amazing. In fact that is probably one of the tastiest caviars I have ever tried. It has the perfect balance of freshness and saltiness, and that buttery consistency – it just leaves you speechless. But, what is the price?

What is the taste of caviar? How does it feel to have the salted roe slide under your tongue? Is it good because it is expensive? Maybe it is really that good by itself and the price has nothing to do with it. Enjoy this in-depth guide to every different type of caviars and how they taste.