Sub-Total: £0.00
The Ultimate Guide to Caviar
Here, you'll find information on the different varieties (Beluga, Oscietra, Baerii and Imperial) as well as how to store your Caviar, once it arrives. You can also look at where our Caviar comes from. Therefore, understand how it is sourced, quality checked and selected, ensuring you receive only the very best quality.
What is Caviar?
Unfertilized Sturgeon eggs, (roe), cured with salt. Therefore, true high-quality caviar must contain only these two ingredients: Sturgeon roe and salt.
Traditionally, what we can call “caviar” only comes from the Sturgeon fish family. Whereas, the cured roe of the other fish like Salmon or Herring is often labelled "Caviar", but officially they are just fish roe.
There are more than 27 species of sturgeon each with significantly different colors and flavours of Caviar. Beluga, Sevruga, and Ossetra are generally considered the most coveted.
For more ideas, and information on recipes and drink pairings, take a look at our Blog.
How to store
Caviar should be kept chilled at -3ºC to 3ºC and never frozen below -3ºC (it won't freeze between 0ºC to -3ºC). Specifically, it is best to store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator for no longer than 90 days before opening. Once open it is best to consume within no more than 3 days for optimal freshness.
Consequently, to assess whether the quality of the caviar you’ve purchased or are being served is good or not, you must look closely at the caviar and smell it. High quality caviar must have a bright color, sheen and a natural ocean-like aroma. In contrast to popular belief, high quality caviar shouldn’t actually smell or taste strongly fishy.
Make sure that the individual fish eggs (beads) are consistent in size and appearance throughout. Additionally, make sure the texture is not mushy. Rather, each individual egg must be hard enough to come through the preparation process fully intact and still be delicate enough to melt in your mouth. A shiny, pearl-like exterior to the eggs also demonstrates the freshness of caviar.
However, please note that all caviars will vary in color, appearance, size, texture, and other qualities due to it being derived from different species of sturgeon raised under different conditions, in different areas across the world.
Servings
of Caviar
perfect for a taster for 4 people
of Caviar
perfect for a small starter for 4
of Caviar
will give a serving on a main dish for 4
of Caviar
will provide a large serving on a main dish for 4
Starter Dish
10g-20g
per person
Main Dish
30g-50g
per person
How is our Caviar sustainably sourced?
Obtaining caviar from wild sturgeon was made illegal in 2011 due to reckless overfishing that led to the depletion of the population. These days, all caviar sold comes from farming. Consequently, while sturgeon can be bred in a controlled environment, that doesn't mean farmers are able to make as much caviar as they want. It takes female sturgeon 8 to 20 years to reach sexual maturity. Only at this point do sturgeon produce caviar. Once enough have accumulated, the eggs are carefully extracted by hand; resulting in a sustainable farming practice; ensuring caviar can be enjoyed for generations to come.
The Pearl Caviar quality control specialists ensure that we receive high quality and certified caviar that is manufactured legally and in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way. Likewise, Pearl Caviar requires regular laboratory batch testing for consignments of caviar.
Pearl Caviar food experts regularly travel around the world to ensure that production and quality safety is upheld by all of the suppliers from whom they source our caviar. The Pearl Caviar production facility is HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) certified. Indeed, the rigorous processes in place assure that every shipment of caviar is re-packed under Pearl Caviar and CITES certification, under the supervision of their packing specialists.
Have a Question?
If you have any questions about caviar or truffles, or would like to discuss wholesale truffle or caviar supply, please get in touch.