You must have a lot of questions about caviar? Starting from “ Why is it so expensive?” or “ What does it taste like” to “ How do I choose my caviar?”. Well, fret not because we are here to answer all of your most-burning caviar-related questions!
What is Caviar?
Fish eggs?! Don’t get disappointed yet, there’s more to caviar than just mere fish eggs. It’s essentially processed and salt cured fish roe.
While caviar is often used as the term to describe fish egg, but true caviar comes from sturgeon. Sturgeon is the common name for 27 species of fish from the Acipenseridae family, native to Caspian and Black deas.There are different species of sturgeon, ranging from common to rare, and a view varieties produces different flavored caviar adding to its uniqueness.
When is Caviar So Popular & Expensive ?
Caviar was once reserved strictly for royalty. But during 19th century, America were flowing with sturgeon and routinely served caviar as free lunches in saloons to encourage thirst ( from the salty taste) thus enhanced sales.
Then came the caviar boom when sturgeon was overfished to the point of extinction, thus the sharp jump in price. At this time, Europe had imported a lot of caviar back to Russia, further spiking the hot demands. By the 1960’s, the price was skyrocketing!
Nowadays, the intensive labor and natural production of caviar still factor in the pricing. But with modern aquaculture and fish farming technology , caviar now can be more accessible with great varieties to choose from!
What does it Taste Like?
Many will argue that it tastes weird, but for even more people find it to be delicious. If you like salty food, caviar may just be your new favorite snack!
Caviar is often paired as toppings to other foods, for example toast, pancakes, salmon, or pizzas. Caviar also often works as appetizer or garnish complement to larger meal, not the main course. You’ll likely find caviar omelettes and salad, or even people who enjoy it as is as snack with wine pairings.
Is There any Benefit to Caviar?
Caviar is known to be healthy, containing plenty of vitamins and minerals intended to nourish unborn fish. Reported health benefits include boosting immune function as well as a high levels of omega-3s said to alleviate symptoms of depression.
Caviar has also become a prominent beauty aid. Top cosmetics brands use caviar as a part of facial product ingredients, all thanks to the proteins and nutrients in caviar extracts to helping create younger-looking skin. If there’s any caviar leftover, there’s no harm in rubbing them against your skins!
Types of Caviar & How To Choose
The main types of caviar are :
- Beluga : World’s most expensive caviar and considered rare.
- Ossetra : Consists of medium-sized eggs with nutty and slightly fruity flavors.
- Sevruga : Smallest roe, but more plentiful and the least expensive.
To choose your caviar, follow the several steps below :
- Appearance
Caviar eggs must be sturdy, not cracked and have a small dark dot each. The sizes may vary and has a small quantity of viscous substance.
- Taste & Smell
It must have a neutral smell, not sour. When eaten, it bursts and quickly dissolve. A true caviar also won’t have a crunch effect when you bite it.
- Color
The typical colors of average caviar are : chum, pink and sockeye. As for real black caviar, it can vary from slightly dark gray to dense black. The brighter it is, usually the more expensive too.
- Production Date
When buying canned caviar, check the production and packaging date. It must not exceed 6 months.
- Brand
Stick with quality brand from food provider that you’re familiar with.
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