Looking for caviar at wholesale prices?

Ok, we all should know that caviar is the generic term for the roe of the Sturgeon fish who live in the Caspian Sea which is bordered by Iran and Russia. The Sturgeon is under constant threat of possible extinction through over fishing as it is the pregnant females who are harvested. How can there be fresh new stock when the eggs are so sought after - a fishy Catch-22. They are mature at around 20 years!

The end result, of course is rocketing prices, and a massive black market of smugglers and counterfeit caviar [sic]. Add to that the general poverty and political uncertainty of this area of the world and it’s a worrying recipe.

Definition of caviar

How to eat caviar

The best way to eat caviar is to lick it from the side of your hand, that area of skin on the outer side of your hand between your thumb and forefinger. It should be placed there with a wooden, ivory or even plastic spoon - NOT a silver one as this can adversely affect the taste.

Better yet is to eat your caviar from the skin of somebody else, but that would require a whole new web site!

If someone looks down their nose at you when you do that please take comfort in the knowledge that you are the afficionado, the gourmet and not they. Isn’t it strange how those that know little on a subject always seem to be very ready to sit in judgement on those that do?

C’est la vie mes braves !

What’s the difference between wild and farmed caviar ?

Now that’s a good question. A simplistic answer would be to say that it’s similar in the taste difference between farmed and wild Salmon - which is enormous in our humble culinary opinion!

But there’s more to it than that - some farmed American Sturgeon caviar is incredibly good and it’s a little known fact that the Sturgeon has been indigenous to American waters since way back when, and that America was once a caviar producing nation! Like 200 years ago - incredible right?

So here’s an interesting question: is Beluga caviar the most expensive because it’s the best or simply because it’s the most hard to come by? If the latter then don’t we owe the hard pressed Caspian Sea Sturgeon a break and to start consuming, and enjoying, well farmed caviar from reputable fish farms in the U.S?

What’s the deal with the spoons ?

OK, simply put, the best spoon with which to eat caviar is made of ivory or mother of pearl since we all know that ivory is mucho bad ( but I personally would have no problem using an antique spoon) then Mother of pearl it is, or even plastic or wood. Most metals give off oxidised flavours when reacting with caviar so, sorry, silver is a no-no!

What should I serve with caviar ?

That’s a good question too! It’s also the one that people often get wrong.

Don’t serve anything that will detract from the taste of the roe and, just as importantly, the texture of the eggs.

In other words don’t serve caviar with onions, capers, chopped boiled eggs or any of those ‘traditional’ accoutrements - a simple lightly toasted blini is best - serving it with hard toast (remember ‘Melba’ toast?) will simply detract from the wonderful texture and that feel of the roe ‘popping’ on the roof of your mouth. Blinis and Creme Fraiche OK?

Can I freeze caviar ?

No ! The eggs break and it goes all mushy!

OK, but what’s the best way to store caviar ?

Your average fridge temperature is not low enough but your average freezer is too cold - You need to be looking at a temperature of around 2 degrees C.

That’s hard to achieve unless you have a dedicated caviar fridge so the answer is to place your tin or jar in a small insulated bag packed with ice and place it in your regular fridge (at it’s lowest setting) replenish the ice every 2-3 days.

Average shelf life in these conditions, if unopened, will be 6 weeks. A simpler solution is to eat your caviar faster! Eat within 48 hours of opening a jar - no problem!

What to drink with caviar ?

• Champagne
• A crisp white (e.g. Chablis)
• Vodka (direct from the freezer!)
• A light lager beer

Best method to buy wholesale caviar

If you have a friend who knows those Black Marketeers tell him to get lost! Stick with him and you are promoting the exploitation of the Caspian Sea Sturgeon, or buying fake caviar, and we don’t want that so visit our gourmet food store here or....

....contact your favourite (and top notch) restaurant Chef or Maitre D’ and ask them for supplier details.

Do a sample run for quality and, if satisfactory, you are now getting your caviar at (at least) a 30% reduction in price on those delicatessen prices - yep it’s that easy folks!

Suppliers are generally happy to deliver small amounts to you as, even at wholesale prices, caviar is a hight ticket item.