There are many different types of caviar with many different price tags. Caviar ranges from fine and pricey to inexpensive and bland. As when purchasing a bottle of wine, you should have at least a basic idea of the types of caviar and what the differences between different varieties are. There are some guidelines to go by in choosing this odd but delightful delicacy.
Instructions
1. Know what caviar is. Caviar is made from the eggs of certain kinds of fish. The most expensive and tastiest caviar comes from the sturgeon, which is not a fish but a common name that actually refers to twenty six species of fish including the Beluga, Sterlet and Kaluga species. These are cold salt water fishes found in Europe and North America. Caviar is made from fish eggs which are processed with salt and eaten alone or on crackers or in recipes.
2. Know the varieties of caviar. There four basic varieties. Sevruga caviar is a less expensive caviar that has really tiny black eggs. Osetra caviar is taken from medium-sized sturgeon and it has eggs that are just a little bit bigger than the Sevruga and boasts a nutty taste. Beluga caviar comes from the largest sturgeon found in the Caspian Sea. It has much larger eggs than the other two and is considered a high priced caviar. The most expensive of the caviars by far is called both Sterlot and golden due to it's golden color. This is the caviar of the very rich. There are American varieties of caviar as well. American caviar is taken from sturgeon (black eggs), Whitefish (yellow eggs), Trout (small reddish eggs) and Salmon (larger reddish eggs).
3. Know store your caviar. Put unopened caviar into a bowl of ice or in the coldest area of the refrigerator. It can stay fresh for up to 20 days. Once it's opened, you have to eat it within three days. You can also keep caviar in a pantry where it will keep, if unopened, for five to six months.
4. Taste the different kinds of caviar to see which one you enjoy the most. They all have distinctive flavors. Select varieties that are labeled 'molassol' which is translated 'little salt.' Know serve caviar. Use glass or wood spoons, although spoons made of mother of pearl, bone and real gold are the utensils of choice. Avoid stainless steel or even real silver because the caviar will pick up a metallic taste from these. Serve your caviar at a cold temperature with crackers or fancy breads--pumpernickel is particularly good with it.
5. Enjoy caviar by itself on a bed of ice with lemon juice and toast. You can also serve it with boiled, chopped egg white with the yolks having been put through a sieve and side dishes of finely diced onion or chives. Caviar is also great with hot Russian blini--a traditional pancake served with sweetened butter. It can also be served with baked or mashed potatoes. Speaking of traditions, around the time of Russia's Peter the Great, serving caviar was a sign of great wealth. A table, called a zakusa table was stocked with various styles of caviar which was served with vodka. It was eaten by the spoonful and then chased with a shot.
6. Buy good caviar at any specialty grocery store and he cheaper varieties are found even in some regular grocery stores. You can, of course. purchase it online as well at websites such as FineCaviar and CaviarExpress (see Resources below). With a few purchases under your belt, you will sound like a caviar connoisseur in no time.
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