How to Buy and Eat Caviar

Russia and caviar are so intertwined they are like peanut butter and jelly. Producing and eating the finest caviar in the world has been a passion for Russians for hundreds of years, and even the average Russian families save up all year to be able to put red caviar on the table at New Year. Caviar remains one of Russia’s most popular gifts and a massive export luxury item. Now let us delve into how to buy and eat caviar.

Caviar by the Pound

Caviar is priced and sold by the pound, or in small sealed glass jars or cans. If you can afford to it is better to buy it by the pound as the smaller cans and jars contain many preservatives and salt. Buying it in a jar gives the advantage of being able to see the caviar, of course this is impossible in a tin.

There are two main types of caviar, red and black, with black being the superior. However, it is often illegal to buy black caviar by the pound so you will not be able to taste it first.

All About the Look

If possible, get a good look at the caviar before you buy it, the eggs should vary in size and there should be no cracks. If there is a uniform size, then something is wrong. Also, if there is a sticky substance between the eggs this is not a good sign either. Look for the eye in each egg, this is a small dot and if the eggs do not have one then the caviar is fake.

Taste & Smell

Before you buy caviar, it is good to taste and smell the eggs first, the caviar should not have a strong odor and definitely not smelling sour. When tasting, the eggs must burst in your mouth and then quickly dissolve. If the eggs have a crunchy texture, then the caviar is fake.

The Color

Caviar generally comes in red or black, and there are three types, pink, sockeye, and chum. All these eggs are from Salmon.

• Chum – this caviar is orange and red and has large eggs.
• Pink – medium sized eggs that are bright orange.
• Sockeye – small eggs that are dark red.

Black caviar is the Rolls Royce of caviars, the Beluga caviar is the best and most expensive, and the color is between a dark gray to jet black. The brighter the eggs are generally the more expensive the caviar is. The caviar from a Sturgeon has a bronze hue to it, whilst Kaluga caviar can be brown or black.

How to Eat Caviar

Caviar should be treated simply, why pay for one of the most expensive foods in the world and mess about with it? In Russia caviar is often simply spooned onto fresh white bread that has been liberally smeared with butter. Another festive way to serve caviar is in egg shells.

Perhaps the most popular way to serve caviar around the world is on small crepes (blinies) or white toast, with chilled vodka or champagne. And if you are particularly flush with money, it is delicious simply eaten with a teaspoon. 

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