Caviar boasts a unique texture and flavor profile that distinguishes it as a gourmet treat. The tiny, glossy pearls burst on the palate, releasing a symphony of flavors that range from buttery and nutty to briny and subtly sweet. The sensation is both luxurious and indulgent, making caviar a sought-after delicacy among those with discerning tastes.
When grading and tasting caviar, the follow characteristics are considered:
- Consistency: Consistency refers to the general appearance of caviar. Generally, a good caviar will have uniformity in grain size and color.
- Size: Size of the caviar beads will vary from fish to fish.
- Color: The color of caviar can have a wide range depending on species, age, and diet of the fish. Colors range from jet black to a lighter grey and can also appear to have a golden hue.
- Flavor: Flavor can range from mild to rich. Flavor profiles can include buttery or fatty, mildly to intensely briny, or sometimes nutty.
- Texture: Texture refers to the firmness of the bead. Texture ranges from soft and buttery, melting in your mouth, to a firm outer skin that can produce an intense pop.
Types of Caviar
American White Sturgeon
Crown Jewel
With large silver and gold flecked beads, this caviar has a buttery and creamy flavor with a rich, clean finish.
- Class: ultra-premium, rare
- Size: large
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Color: speckled gold
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Flavor: rich, clean, and buttery
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Texture: medium to firm
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Pairing: champagne
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To enjoy: It can be consumed as is, or it can further elevate dishes like zabaglione, seafood mousse, or pâté.
Golden Reserve
An exquisite and rare caviar with a medium to large bead, buttery finish, and glowing golden hue.
- Class: super premium
- Size: medium
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Color: golden brown
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Flavor: buttery and nutty
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Texture: medium to firm
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To enjoy: Golden Reserve sits beautifully atop a variety of breads, lightly toasted and buttered. It will make an excellent garnish for cucumber tea sandwiches or a more complex dish of poached lobster on an airy vegetable puree.
Reserve
Large, tawny brown to platinum beads have a nutty and light flavor.
- Class: premium
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Size: large
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Color: grey to brown
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Flavor: very buttery
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Texture: medium
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Pairing: chilled vodka
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To enjoy: blini with crème fraîche
Select
Smooth finish, gently pop, platinum hue with creamy medium to large beads.
- Class: premium
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Size: medium to large
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Color: black to grey
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Flavor: buttery
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Texture: medium
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Pairing: champagne
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To enjoy: Top on rye toast points with mild smoked fist and an herbed cream for a delicious bite.
Estate
A rich, clean and earthy flavor with deep brown to black beads, medium in size.
- Class: mid-level
- Size: medium
- Color: dark
- Flavor: buttery and earthy
- Texture: soft to medium
- Pairing: extra brut champagne or dry sparkling white wine
- To enjoy: On top of a soft mild base like lightly toasted bread or blini.
Classic
Medium-sized bead with a bold jet-black color and a briny yet delicate finish.
- Class: entry level
- Size: small
- Color: black
- Flavor: briny
- Texture: soft
- Pairing: Sparkling wine
- To enjoy: Garnish classic caviar on a variety of dishes like deviled eggs, seafood bisque, creamed vegetable soup, or fresh fried potato chips with homemade onion dip.
Imported Sturgeon
Beluga Hybrid
This unique item is produced in Bulgaria is a large grain hybrid version of Beluga. Grown for over ten years, this caviar has a mild buttery brine flavor with slate gray colors that make it a delicious and eye appealing caviar. Noted for its clean ocean flavor, this product of Bulgaria is one of the only versions successfully produced in Europe. This hybrid is a cross of Beluga and Sevruga Sturgeon.
- Class: super premium
- Size: medium
- Color: dark
- Flavor: buttery
- Texture: soft to medium
- Origin: Bulgaria
Imperial Osetra
This rare caviar is the lightest hued version of Ostera. With bright yellow almost white grains, this is a product for the caviar enthusiast searching for the best. Noted for its creamy flavor and nutty finish, this delicious caviar is equal parts good looking and great tasting.
- Class: ultra-premium, rare
- Size: large
- Color: bright yellow, almost white
- Flavor: creamy and nutty
- Texture: medium
- Origin: Greece
Golden Osetra
Renowned for its bright amber gold color, medium grain size, and clean rich nutty finish, this product is sure to impress even the most experienced caviar enthusiast.
- Class: super premium
- Size: medium
- Color: amber gold
- Flavor: nutty and briny
- Texture: medium to firm
- Origin: Greece
Osetra
Rich, clean taste with a full, creamy finish, and a unique nutty afternote, similar in finish and grain size to wild Osetra caviar.
- Class: premium
- Size: medium
- Color: two tone black to amber
- Flavor: rich and nutty
- Texture: medium
Baerii
Noted for its gray to black color, small to medium grain size, and a unique sweet brine finish.
- Class: mid-level
- Size: small to medium
- Color: grey to black
- Flavor: sweet brine
- Texture: medium
- To enjoy: Incorporated as a topping on seared scallops or sauteed fish.
- Origin: Greece
Paddlefish
This roe has a light gray color, small bead and sharp, sea-breeze finish.
- Origin: U.S.A
- Size: small to medium
- Color: grey to dark ash
- Flavor: slightly bitter/briny
- Texture: smooth/silky
- To enjoy: The earthy and herbaceous flavors make a bold garnish. For a well-rounded party bite, top salted crackers with sour cream and chopped shallots.
Gourmet Roes
Golden Whitefish
The American Whitefish produces small, golden yellow roe. Its mild and fruity flavor appeals to those who might be unfamiliar with caviar, but ready to try roe.
- Origin: Great Lakes
- Size: small
- Color: vibrant gold
- Flavor: fruity and briny
- Texture: firm pop
- Pairing: Riesling or chardonnay
- To enjoy: Add the lively and firm pop of Whitefish roe to pasta or any flavorful seafood dish.
Trout
This fiery orange roe has a bright, silky pop and subtle, sweet flavor.
- Origin: France
- Size: medium
- Color: vibrant orange, with marked tiger’s eye
- Flavor: sweet and briny
- Texture: firm shell with distinct pop
- Pairing: dry rosé
- To enjoy: An excellent garnish for soups and salads as well as creamy, lemony, herby dips. Take it up a notch and top some smoked trout rillettes.
Smoked Trout
This trout roe has a sweet and smoky brined bead with a rich and adventurous flavor.
- Origin: France
- Size: medium
- Color: vibrant orange with marked tiger’s eye
- Flavor: smoky and briny
- Texture: firm shell with distinct pop
- Pairing: Bourbon Manhattan
- To enjoy: If you like a hint of smoky flavor in your dishes, reach for this as your garnish— it works on crackers, eggs, seafood, blini, potatoes, layered dips, and fish ceviche.
Salmon
This roe is noted for its discernible pop, bright color, and robust flavor.
- Origin: Alaska
- Size: medium
- Color: brilliant orange
- Flavor: intense fatty and briny
- Texture: delicate pop with rush of flavor
- To enjoy: Top softly scrambled farm eggs on toasted crusty bread for a cozy brunch dish. Garnish some on a homemade poke bowl or sushi roll.
Information above courtesy Tsar Nicoulai Caviar
