Caviar is judged on its color, flavor, texture and maturity The finest, most expensive caviars are older, larger eggs that are lighter in color. Lower quality caviar is younger, with a less intensely fishy flavor, and darker in color. It’s a good thing, too, for caviar newbies, who are more likely to start on the cheaper, milder stuff.
Caviar is one of the oldest delicatessen
Before raw oysters, champagne and even truffles were deemed a delicacy, caviar was coveted by kings and the aristocracy. Ancient Greeks, Romans and Russian tsars were all known to splurge on caviar.
The salmon roe on sushi roll is not caviar!
Caviar was originally harvested by Russian and Persian fishermen in the Caspian Sea. The term refers to unfertilized salt-cured fish eggs from different species of sturgeon, including Ossetra, Sevruga and Beluga. Just about all 26 species of sturgeon have been used for caviar.
Caviar lasts more than a day
Because it’s technically cured fish, caviar has a decent shelf-life, even after it’s opened. Store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator, as close to the freezer as possible, and it should stay fresh for about a month.
The most expensive caviar on record is from a 100-year-old fish
Almas caviar, from the eggs of 60 to 100-year-old Iranian beluga sturgeon, clocked in at roughly $35,000 per kilo ($1,000/oz.).
