Last weekend, PartySugar and I spent most of our time eating and drinking at the Winter Fancy Foods Show, the largest food show in North America. With more than 250,000 food and beverage products on display, one could say that perhaps I bit off a little more than I could chew.
We tasted wine, cheese, meat, and everything else you can think of (more on that later!), but one of the biggest highlights had to be learning more about caviar from the pros. I turned to Ali Bolourchi and Michael Kupfer of Pacific Plaza Imports, a California-based caviar importer, to get some tips. To find out how to serve, taste, and enjoy caviar, read more.
- What to buy: True caviar, the most prized (and therefore expensive!) is from Russian sturgeon. However, if you've never tasted caviar, American sturgeon is a great starting point, and only costs $20 to $25 an ounce — a fraction of the cost of the real thing. Also, know what it is that you're tasting: Neither red caviar or salmon roe is technically caviar. Genuine caviar falls under three categories: beluga, osetra, and sevruga.
- How to taste: The best caviar should be devoid of smell, and should taste clean, buttery, and not too salty. The eggs should have a nice pop to them, and shouldn't be soupy or sticky.
- How to serve: Buy a mother-of-pearl spoon to scoop the caviar, as metal imparts an unwanted flavor to the eggs. Each taste should contain a gram or two of caviar. Serve on a toast point, canapé, or blini, with smoked salmon, creme fraîche, lemon, and chive.
- If you truly want to taste the pure flavor of caviar, serve the caviar solo on the nook of the hand between the index finger and thumb.
Of course, I couldn't learn fully without experiencing the taste of caviar. Michael served DeSietra Farms Siberian sturgeon caviar that was sustainably farmed in Germany. It was not fishy at all, and subtly briny, with a nutty finish — the perfect way to end a lesson about caviar.
Are you a fan of the delicacy? What are your favorite ways to enjoy it?
Celine
Luella
Sergio Rossi
my husband is Ukrainian so they eat caviar like it's going out of style. I have yet to develop a taste for it. Hubby eats it for breakfast on bread and butter.
1Huh. The only kind of caviar I really enjoy is salmon--there's nothing like some ikura to make my sushi meal complete.
2I love caviar!
3i want sushi now!
4YUM!
5I love cavier, and now I'm really jaelous of syako's husband.
6I was at the show and it was a foodie wonderland! So much fun!
7I just don't like caviar very much...
8syako-No kidding about Ukranians loving their caviar! When I was over there, I had it a few times. It was sort of an acquired taste for me...I didn't exactly LOVE it the first time I tried it. But after I'd tried it a couple of times, it kind of grew on me. Not enough for me to buy it over here though...it's WAY cheaper in Ukraine.
9I really know nothing about caviar, so this was very helpful!
10Good to know.
11Does it really matter what part of the hand caviar is eaten??
12ahhhhh im craving them w/n !!!! O_O
13this is really good information. i personally don't care for caviar, but i know that a lot of people are 'afraid' of it because they don't know how to properly eat it and buy it etc. this would be really helpful for anyone who really wanted to branch out and try it.
14Oh my gosh... if I ever saw someone eating real caviar on top of smoked salmon, I wouldn't even know how to react. If I'm paying $300 for 2 oz. of something, no chance I'm going to let the flavor get overpowered by salmon. It should be eaten plain, or at the very least on a square of white bread, no crusts, with a tiny spread of creme fraiche. Salmon = sacrilege!! Haha.
This is one of my hubby's and my favorite indulgences. A pot of caviar and a bottle of Ruinart champagne is heaven.
15Cotedazure-
I have to agree- I just cant eat my caviar with salmon! I will take it on a plain cracker with a dab of cream fraiche...or if im feeling naughty I will simply devour it by the spoonful.
Champagne is a must. I refuse to eat caviar unless I have champagne to drink also.
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