All You Need To Know About Eating Caviar

One of the most exclusive food items is caviar, and the most expensive. Eating caviar is considered a privilege, but many don't understand what's so special about fish caviar. Why does something so tiny have to be so expensive? Is it because of how caviar tastes, or something completely different?    If you are thinking about questions like these, we're going to help you and give you the correct answers about caviar, serving caviar, and of course, eating caviar. Stay with us if you want to learn everything about fish caviar.   

What Is Caviar?   

Unfertilized fish eggs are caviar, commonly known as fish roe preserved with salt. But not every fish roe can be considered caviar. Here's an easy explanation if you still don't know what is caviar.    Fish eggs known as true caviar are only harvested from wild sturgeon from the Acipenseridae family. However, today there are many fish farms of wild sturgeon because the wild population is increasingly depleting as the years pass due to overfishing.   

Origins of Caviar  

Now that you know what is caviar, we should talk about its origins. Caviar has been present in human history for many centuries now, and there are even sources stating that Aristotle wrote about caviar back in the days. True caviar comes from Caspian and Black Seas, and that's where its origins are.    It was a delicacy reserved for Russia and the Middle East, but slowly it conquered the world. If you wanted to try the premium caviar, you had to try the ones produced in Russia or the Middle East.    In the late 1900s, a new player came to the fish caviar scene, it was the U.S, but some will say that the caviar wasn't the same as the one from Russia.   

The Production Process of Caviar  

One of the reasons this type of fish roe is so expensive is how it is harvested. A lot of intense labor goes into harvesting fish roe and producing caviar.    Fish roe used for caviar has to be harvested from a female fish. Another obstacle is that for a female fish to reach maturity and start producing eggs, it has to pass almost 20 years for some species. When fish eggs are harvested, the female fish is ready to spawn, which often doesn't happen. Female sturgeon spawn only once every several years.   The fish eggs are manually harvested from the fish. Once the fish eggs are harvested, they are hand-picked, and all bad ones are discarded. After that, they are salted and prepared with a special recipe.   

Nutritional Aspect of Caviar  

We must mention that caviar has a lot of nutritional benefits, and some of them are:  

• It's rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.  
• It's full of Vitamin D, and vitamin B12.  
• It's rich in magnesium and iron.  

Types of Caviar   

A few types of true fish caviar are available on the market from different sturgeon species. However, not every one of them is available globally because of its rarity.   

• The Beluga caviar is the most prized one and the most expensive one. But at this point, it's no longer available outside of Russia due to the Beluga sturgeon being an endangered species. Beluga sturgeon is native to the Caspian Sea, and the caviar produced from its roe is the largest and the best in the world, with a specific caviar taste.   
• Kaluga caviar is also high-quality, and it's similar to the Beluga type.   
• Osetra caviar from Osetra sturgeon is more petite than Beluga, but it's top-notch quality, and the caviar tastes almost nutty.  
• Sevruga caviar has the most miniature eggs and a more robust flavor, slightly saltier than the others.   
• American caviar is harvested from lake sturgeon, wild Atlantic sturgeon, and white sturgeon.  

If you are thinking of eating caviar, you should choose the type of fish you want, but there's also one more thing to consider. It's the grade of caviar.   

There are two grades:   

Grade 1 - The highest quality caviar with large fish eggs, great color, and firm texture.    Grade 2 - The caviar taste is excellent, but the texture of the eggs is not as firm and intact as with Grade 1. It's possible that when eating caviar for the first time, you won't be able to notice the difference. 

How to Serve Caviar 

Caviar is delicate, and it should be served a specific way. When serving caviar, you need to make sure to serve it cold, ice cold. It would be best if you didn't store it in the freezer but in the fridge. And when it's serving time, you should serve it on ice for the best presentation.   When serving caviar, you shouldn't serve it with metal spoons because the eggs can absorb the flavor of metal or any other material. That's why it's best to serve it in the tins they come in and with special spoons for caviar. Those spoons are made out of bone or mother of pearls.   If you want to be super fancy, you need to have appropriate drinks when serving caviar, to accompany its salty taste. Champagne is perfect, but good-quality vodka is even better and a much more traditional option. 

Caviar Eating Etiquette 

Caviar is the essential part of the whole experience, and the focus should be on it. When we are talking about serving caviar, we have to talk about caviar eating etiquette. If you don't know how to eat caviar, always remember that it's best to keep things simple.   Traditional caviar eating is done with petite Russian-style pancakes of buckwheat, blini.   A modernized version is with buttered toast pieces, crème fraiche, or sour cream. It even goes fabulous with boiled eggs.   If you have a chance to try high-quality caviar, and it's your first time, you should try it alone. However, it's always nice to try different dishes that incorporate caviar to experience something new and exciting.  One thing to remember when you are eating caviar is not to exaggerate. We want to say that you shouldn't overeat it because it's considered rude. This is something to have in mind, especially if you are a guest at an event or someone's home, and you have a chance to try caviar. If you buy yourself some caviar to try and eat it at home, you can do whatever you want with it. But don't forget about this rule if you ever find yourself in a formal and fine-dining situation.   Another thing to remember when eating caviar is not to chew it. We know that it can be tempting, but the flavor isn't the same. You should put caviar eggs on your tongue and feel the caviar and its flavors. Once you swallow it, wait a little bit before you drink so that you can enjoy the aftertaste. After a minute, or two, drink a bit of vodka to cleanse your palate.  

The Best Place to Try Caviar 

We want to invite you to come and visit Stiltsville Fish Bar if you ever want to try high-quality caviar and enjoy its delicate flavors. We are proud of every one of our dishes, and our caviar offer is outstanding. And once you try it, you'll think that too. Call us today and book a reservation for the best seafood restaurant in Miami. We are excited to host you!