Buy Gourmet Caviar
Caviar is the preferred delicacy of elite society. It goes hand in hand with all things luxurious. If you're driving the finest cars, collecting the most divine works of art or wearing top notch clothes and jewels, then you are among the privileged few who have the means to partake in the sublime caviar culture.
Caviar is the processed, salted roe of fish. Although there are several varieties of caviar, the true connoisseur only eats roe that comes from Beluga, Osetra and Sevruga sturgeons. The majority of all 3 endangered species are found in the Caspian Sea between Russia and Iran. Only sturgeon caviar is labeled "caviar". With all other roe varieties, producers are required to state the type of fish it comes from, like "salmon caviar".
- Beluga caviar roe are light grey to black and very large. This type of roe has a sweet, buttery flavor and is the most expensive variety, only next to Sterlet caviar, which is so rare only the ultra-rich can afford it. Although Beluga may not be as rare as Sterlet, it is very rare indeed, less than 100 beluga sturgeons are harvested yearly.
- Osetra caviar is pale grey to light brown and sometimes golden in color. Osetra roe are usually medium sized. This variety is prized for its nutty flavor.
- Sevruga caviar roe are much smaller than Osetra or Beluga roe. They are light grey to black in color and have a buttery flavor that many people compare to Beluga. Sevruga sturgeons are slightly more abundant than the other 2 main varieties so Sevruga caviar is less expensive.
Outside of the main 3 sturgeon varieties, there are several others that are farmed world wide. Farmed sturgeon are grown under the best of conditions and fed a perfect toxin-free diet. Their roe are harvested at the ideal time to ensure the highest quality caviar possible.
A few farmed raised species include:
- American sturgeon caviar comes from the American Lake Sturgeon. Its roe are commonly compared to those of Sevruga sturgeon.
- Paddlefish Caviar which is sometimes marketed as American caviar is often compared to Beluga roe. Its roe are light to dark gray and sometimes have a golden tint.
- Bowfin or Choupique is also very similar to Beluga roe in taste, however its dark roe smaller in size.
- Salmon Caviar, considered a kosher food, is reddish-orange in color. Its roe are medium to large with a strong salmon flavor.
- Hackleback Caviar is sweet and nutty like Osetra. Its roe are medium and dark black in color.
- Other varieties include whitefish caviar and lumpfish caviar.
Gourmet caviar is graded by the manner in which it was processed and the color and size of its roe. Colors are graded from lightest to darkest, with 000 indicating lightest, 00 for in between and 0 for darkest. "Royal" caviar, once designated for consumption only by royalty, is golden or the absolute lightest roe available. Caviar is not graded by taste, it is graded by how rare it is, and this is why the light, large roe that comes from sturgeon is considered the best caviar in the world.
There are 4 methods in which caviar is processed. Often associated with gourmet caviar, the malossol method is commonly considered the best. Caviar prepared in the malossol method is fresh with less than 5% salt content.
Salted or semi-preserved caviar has up to 8% salt content and is considered the second best processing method in terms of quality.
The pressed caviar method was once the only way to preserve roe. Pressed varieties are made of lesser quality roe than salted or malossol caviar. It is pressed into a jam spread that is high in salt content and very strong in flavor.
Pasteurized caviar is heated and vacuum packed into glass jars during processing. This variety is processed for long term preservation and considered lower quality than varieties processed with the malossol, salted & pressed methods.
Although I have covered a lot of territory in this article, there are many other varieties available for your pleasure. I suggest shopping around some of the mail order gourmet food shops online to find more information and details. The internet is a dream come true for caviar connoisseurs as it allows you to taste caviar from near and far and order it from the comfort of your own home.
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