Caviar – tell us everything you know.
Everything I know will take days. I will tell you the essential thing about caviar: it is the most exquisite seafood that only selective people enjoy.
Isn’t it just salty fish eggs?
Caviar is not salty, but when harvesting, natural salt is added as a preservative. The more salty it gets, the less expensive it will be.
So why is it so pricey?
That’s due to many restrictions monitored by official organisations protecting endangered species – which is the case of the sturgeon [fish] nowadays. Because of illegal fishing and trade, some countries have banned the import of caviar unless there is a Cites (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) certificate.
What does it taste like?
To feel the good caviar taste, you have to take it in small quantities and savour the taste as the grains burst in your mouth. You will taste a bit of a nutty flavour while eating the ossetra, for example. The sevruga has the strongest flavour of all three top caviars.
What’s the difference between beluga, osetra and sevruga?
The fish size and weight, translated to the size and colour of the eggs. Beluga caviar ranges from the lightest of gold to black (depending on the fish age) and has approximately five to six millimetre diameter size per egg, while the osetra is more yellowish and has smaller-sized eggs. The sevruga has a more grey-black colour and smaller size – reaching around three millimetres per egg.
And how do you tell the good stuff from the cheap stuff?
You can tell by the colour, smell and shape of the caviar. Try the tasting tip as follows: take a small amount of caviar and put it on your hand between the thumb and the index finger, then eat it directly from your hand. If, after that, your hand smells fishy you can be sure that you’re not eating good-quality caviar.
What types of caviar does La Maison du Caviar stock, and how is it served?
We serve Caspian beluga, ossetra and sevruga, plus we have two farmed types (French and Italian), which gives more options for all budgets. We have all mentioned types by 30g, 50g and 125g, and all are served on ice, along with pearl spoons with complimentary onion, egg white and yolk, pickles, lemon, herbs, blini or fresh cream. We also serve caviar in some dishes like the cappellini pasta, omelette and scrambled eggs.
