Understanding Caviar
How to Choose & Buy Caviar
If you are looking for an impressive item to add to your dinner party menu, consider caviar. Whether you are new to this delicacy or are just looking for advice on the best ways to serve caviar, here is a guide to this highly esteemed
hors d'œuvre.
Caviar Defined
As you probably know, caviar is the roe (eggs) of sturgeon, a fish that is found in rivers and oceans around the world. If the roe is from another type of fish, such as salmon, the label must specify this. For many, the briny flavor of caviar is an acquired taste. The best caviar is harvested near Russia, from the Caspian Sea.
After harvesting and straining the fish roe, a mild salt called Malossol is added to prevent the caviar from freezing (which would ruin the caviar's delicate texture). The salting of the caviar is a highly developed skill in Russia where ikrjanschiks apprentice for more than 10 years in the skill. Once salted, the caviar is packed for shipping and refrigerated between 26°F and 31°F.
Types of Caviar
The three main types of Caspian Sea caviar include beluga, osetra and sevruga.
The most delicately flavored of the three, beluga caviar, is also the most expensive. The beluga sturgeon (not to be confused with the beluga or belukha whale) is the largest of sturgeon (some reach 20 feet in length) and produces the largest of eggs.
The mostly intensely flavored caviar is harvested from the sevruga surgeon. The roe offers the briniest taste; the smallest of egg and the best price of the three.
Osetra surgeon swim and feed in deeper, colder waters thus producing a caviar that is preferred by those who enjoy its more assertive and often nutty flavor.
An American sturgeon caviar is harvested from Tennessee rivers and sells for less than $20 an ounce. Caviar is also supplied by Chinese markets.
While classic caviar is harvested from surgeon, salmon caviar is a staple in many sushi bars. There are many other non-classic types of caviar as well, including one that you probably don't want to serve your guests: the cheap, lumpfish caviar found in supermarkets. This would also not be a good introduction to caviar since it tastes nothing like the high-quality sturgeon caviar found in gourmet food stores and online at Websites such as Caviarteria.com and Citarella.com
When shopping for caviar, be sure to make freshness a priority. The highest quality caviar is sold in refrigerated cases, and if purchased from a mail order house (such as GourmetFoodStore.com), the caviar should be shipped overnight.
GourmetFoodStore.com - A great source for imported & domestic caviar.
Serving Caviar
While high-quality finest caviar is expensive, plan on 1 to 2 ounces per person, unless you will be serving he caviar on toast or crackers, in which case 1/2 to 1 ounce per person would be appropriate.
Caviar is extremely perishable so store in its sealed container in the coldest part of the refrigerator (not the freezer though). It's best to keep sealed until you're ready to serve. If you're indulging just yourself, keep in mind that it will only be good for three or four days, once opened.
Before serving, allow the caviar to stand in its closed container for about 10 minutes at room temperature. For aesthetic purposes and to retain freshness, serve your caviar in special, caviar presenters or an attractive crystal bowl set on crushed ice.
Many believe that a metal spoon, including silver, will taint the taste of the caviar.
Some say this is a myth pointing out that even the highest quality of caviar is sold in tins. However, the chemistry of oxygen and the metal may be the basis for this belief. Whatever school of thought you join, your caviar presentation will be more appreciated if a caviar spoon is used. These are available in mother-of-pearl (as well as bone) and you can likely purchased one from the same venue as your caviar for a few dollars.
Many enjoy caviar straight up, but for those who don't, here are some favorite accompaniments:
Toast points are a favorite with caviar lovers. You can make these with thinly sliced white bread or a buttery brioche by trimming off the crusts, toasting and slicing into triangles.
Crackers (unsalted and the kind you find in the gourmet cheese section of a supermarket, not the snack shelf).
Crème fraîche or sour cream.
Finely minced flat-leaf parsley
Champagne or ice-cold vodka. While champagne is a classic with caviar, the latter cuts the richness of the caviar without distracting from its taste.
Enjoy your caviar! One more note – sturgeon populations have declined by as much as 70 percent in the last century. Conservation efforts include regulating the harvesting of caviar. Unfortunately, a black market is profiting from this
and putting the population in further peril.
You can help with conservation efforts and the continued availability of this delicious delight, by giving your business to only reputable retailers who should be happy to supply documentation that their caviar is legally imported caviar.
Copyright © 2007 The Reluctant Gourmet ===================================================================
The Reluctant Gourmet was created back in 1997 as a hobby to assist other novice cooks who may find the art of cooking a little daunting. As an ex-Wall Street broker and Stay-at-Home Dad, I try to explore cooking from a different perspective. Visit http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/ for more tips, techniques, and recipes.
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