12 Fun Facts About Caviar
Caviar is known as a ‘royal food’, with a prestigious and historic reputation that dates back to ancient Russian history. In this article, we have gathered 12 interesting caviar facts about these unique and highly coveted sturgeon eggs. Let’s learn about this diverse and mouth-watering delicacy.
Since caviar is not a food you would find on a typical restaurant menu, many people don't even know what caviar is or where it comes from. So if it's the first time you are getting to know about caviar or if you are a caviar expert, keep reading because there's a lot of new information about caviar in this article. This is going to be a fun read!
1. What Is Caviar?
All caviar is fish roe, but all fish roe is not caviar. It is very simple, roe is the term used to describe fish eggs from all marine animals. Caviar comes exclusively from the sturgeon, no other fish roe can be labelled as caviar since it doesn't come from the sturgeon fish. Now it is pretty simple, right? When you are out on a hunt for caviar just know that the true caviar is the roe that comes exclusively from a sturgeon. No other fish eggs count as caviar!
2. The Best Five Sturgeon Caviars
Although there are 27 species of the sturgeon, the top 5 most popular caviar is classified as the ‘Big Five’ and listed below. You should familiarise yourself with all these varieties so next time you know exactly what caviar to get from the menu. Each kind is unique in its own way, the appearance, taste, and texture. Moreover, these top five fish are the outstanding in each aspect, each species is differently priced and their accessibility is also dependent upon their rarity and grade.
3. A Treat for Your Body
Caviar is a treat for the body, full of vitamins, proteins, and omega 3! One interesting caviar fact is that it is also known as the ‘Vitamin Bomb’. Amino acids naturally exist in the ocean species, hence why caviar also has omega 3, it is also full of vitamins such as B1, B6, B12, B5, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D. Another fun fact about caviar is that it is loaded with enough protein serving of approximately 25 grams, isn't that amazing?
4. Caviar Endangerment
A fact about caviar is that it was a mouthwatering food of kings back in ancient times. Due to the popularity of this incredible delicacy in various parts of the world, the craze of caviar led to overfishing.
The high prices of caviar can be attributed to the fact that sturgeon eggs are extremely difficult and expensive to harvest. For a sturgeon to produce high quality caviar it has to reach maturity, which can take up to 20 years. Furthermore, 18 of 27 species of sturgeon are endangered, this factor also contributes to the high prices of caviar.
5. A Little Bit of Salt
Caviar tastes a little salty when cured correctly, but too much of it can overpower the delicate taste and ruin your caviar experience. The finest of caviar should not be overwhelmingly salty. The natural flavours of caviar should shine through on the palate, the process of treating caviar with salt after getting it in raw form is called Malossol. If done incorrectly it is very easy to overpower the taste of salt in caviar. After all, it is a delicate food item!
6. Caviar Food Pairings
Another fun fact about caviar, it cannot just be paired with anything. People who have tried caviar multiple times understand how important it is to pair it correctly with the right food combinations. Caviar is often enjoyed with a combination of creme fraiche and french blinis. The crackly nature of the french blinis and the acidity of the creme complement the caviar taste and texture, a true delight to have!
7. Fresh is the Best
Once you have caviar shipped to you, you shouldn't delay eating it, because fresh is the best! The rule is to enjoy it as soon as possible because even mishandling or storing it in the wrong conditions and temperatures can affect the taste of it, better not risk it. Once open we recommend devouring it all within the next 3 days! Here are a few great tips on how to store caviar.
8. So Many Terms!
It is okay if you see too many terms and information about caviar online, ‘Royal’, ‘Premium’ and what not. The rule of thumb is to study the producer's definition of terms and you are good to go. You just have the task to pick out the caviar that you want to order based on how the producer has categorised them.
9. National Caviar Day
It is never too late to know when exactly in the year you should celebrate and devour caviar! The National Caviar Day is July 18th. So make sure to stock up on caviar around that time, gather all your friends, and even quiz them on the caviar facts you are reading right now, fun!
10. Black Gold
This fun fact about caviar will amaze you. Black Gold is a type of caviar that comes exclusively from a very rare female beluga sturgeon which breeds in the Caspian sea. Almas caviar, also known as black gold, is the most expensive kind of caviar on the planet, extremely rare and can cost as much as $20,000! Black gold eggs are an astonishing shade of dark golden, like no other caviar.
11. Special Utensils
Standard utensils and caviar go hand in hand. It is important to use special caviar accessories to enjoy the true delight of caviar.
12. So Many Colours!
From pitch black to steel grey to coral to gold, we can go on and on about it, premium sturgeon caviar comes in a wide range of diverse colours.
About the Author
Igor Fishbeyn - Caviar Purveyor
Igor Fishbeyn is purveyor of fine sturgeon caviar and creator of the Skazka Caviar brand. He is an expert with decades of experience specializing in importing, wholesaling, and retailing the finest quality caviar in the world. Igor frequently writes about caviar news and various topics about the caviar industry. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and daughter.
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