How To Eat Caviar Like A Connoisseur
What even is caviar?
Not all fish eggs deserve the grand title of caviar. In the strictest sense, caviar refers only to the salt cured, unfertilised eggs of the sturgeon, an ancient family of fish that has existed since dinosaurs roamed the earth.
In the United States, the distinction is not always carefully enforced, so jars labelled “salmon caviar” or “trout caviar” frequently contain roe rather than true sturgeon caviar. Roe can be perfectly delicious. The important point is simply knowing what one is eating and, more importantly, what one is paying for.
Easy to remember: red caviar is considered non-premium as it's non-sturgeon. Black is the 'good stuff'.
Of Caspian origin
Long before it appeared on silver trays at fashionable dinners, caviar was harvested around the Caspian and Black Seas in the 13th century, where enormous sturgeon once swam in abundance.
Eggs were prized in Russia and Persia, with the word 'caviar' itself coming from the Persian khâvyâr, meaning “egg bearing”.
By the 16th century caviar had become a fashionable delicacy among royalty and the social elite. Sturgeon were legally designated “royal fish” in Britain even, which meant that any sturgeon caught automatically belonged to the monarch.
America's unexpected caviar empire
America had it lucky. For them, caviar was a gold mind waiting to be discovered. In Europe however, everything changed in the mid-19th century. European supplies were dwindling thanks to enthusiastic overfishing, while immigrants in the United States rediscovered sturgeon as an inexpensive food. Processing plants soon appeared along the East Coast, and for roughly two decades America became the world’s leading exporter of caviar to Europe.
Egging on a new age
Sadly, the boom did not last. Overfishing devastated supply. In a particularly odd twist, much American caviar was shipped to Europe and then returned to the United States labelled as “Russian caviar”, conveniently carrying a higher price tag, despite real Russian caviar albeit red ('ikra') being a very affordable food you can buy anywhere.
How to eat caviar
Let's get the obvious out the way - you do not eat caviar like Rihanna, who once combined it with chicken nuggets.
It is seen as best to eat caviar as simply as possible - accompaniments such as sour cream, onions, lemon etc may be seen as unsophisticated as they disguise the taste.
Because silver reacts chemically with caviar and causes the eggs to exude a greenish fluid, a small caviar spoon made of natural material such as horn, mother-of-pearl, or wood is correctly provided. Simply scoop a small bit on to your plate and use a thin piece of toast or a blini to consume.
Now you know how to eat caviar like a connoisseur.
Yours delicately,