Caviar

Everything you always wanted to know about caviar

Caviar

Everything you always wanted to know about caviar

SPECIES: Acipenseridae

BEST CATCHING TIMES: All year round from aquacultures

METHOD OF PREPARATION: Chilled, but not ice-cold, on special caviar spoons, on bread, with egg dishes, with sauces

RELATED: Oscietra caviar, Beluga caviar, Sevruga caviar, Albino caviar

RECIPE SUGGESTION: Caviar creation with cucumber, Prawn carpaccio with caviar, Ice cream with caviar

TASTE:

The fine pearls differ not only in size and consistency, but also in taste. From mild to intense to expressive, creamy or nutty. Each caviar has different flavors that make it unique. Some varieties are also described as salty and fishy.

Caviar , that is, the cleaned and salted roe (fish eggs), mostly comes from the sturgeons family. The three most famous types of caviar that come from sturgeon are Oscietra caviar, Beluga caviar and Sevruga caviar. The former has a unique nutty flavour and is considered smaller and more robust. Beluga caviar, which comes from the largest sturgeons, is described as the finest, largest and most expensive caviar. And even the smallest of the sturgeons, the Sevruga, stands out with its delicate, spicy fish eggs. There is also Albino caviar, which is made from albino sturgeon. Its white eggs have made it a name for itself as the rarest and most exclusive sturgeon.

Since all sturgeon species are now protected species, the only way to obtain legal sturgeon caviar is to obtain it from aquaculture. In aquaculture, it depends on the process, the knowledge of the operator and, above all, the type of facility, how well and how long the sturgeon needs to reach sexual maturity so that the roe can be removed. Breeding fish in aquaculture mainly serves to protect the species and to ensure controlled, legal breeding. The largest repertoire of aquaculture is currently in Asia. In addition to China and Russia, countries such as Norway and Australia are essential for caviar production. In Europe, the number of controlled fish farming companies is increasing, especially in Italy, France and Germany.

Salmon caviar , also known as keta caviar, is also very popular with connoisseurs. With its large, orange-red pearls, it is definitely an eye-catcher on the plate. Trout or char caviar is also becoming increasingly attractive. It is not only very similar to salmon caviar in appearance, but also in taste. Caviar from salmon-like fish can be obtained from both wild-caught fish and from aquaculture.

The caviar of the lumpfish, also called “hare caviar”, is suitable for mainly decorative purposes. It is affordable and can also be purchased in supermarkets. However, it differs greatly in taste, texture and color from sturgeon caviar. Caviar is generally considered a delicacy among gourmets. The fish eggs are not only delicious, but also contain a lot of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

Caviar in detail

Hand-selected pearls

The quality of the caviar depends heavily on the size, colour and consistency of the pearls, so manual selection is an important step to ensure that only the best pearls end up in the final product.

Hand-selected pearls

The quality of the caviar depends heavily on the size, colour and consistency of the pearls, so manual selection is an important step to ensure that only the best pearls end up in the final product.

Fun fact:

It is important to use special spoons made of mother of pearl, horn, wood or plastic when eating caviar and avoid metal spoons, as oxidation processes (especially in silver spoons) affect the delicate taste of caviar.