Put away the pearl spoon and relax the roe.
Author: Naomi Tonkey | Updated August 30, 2021 at 8:00 AM
Bonnie Morales, the chef and owner of Portland’s famous Kachka and its brother restaurants, tasted caviar for the first time, not from a mother-of-pearl spoon or at the table. She brought it to her at home when she was a child and was spread on buttered white toast by her Belarusian immigrant parents. "It's nutritious, much like an egg, but even more so, and it's rich in really healthy fats," she explained. "Therefore, it is usually considered children's food." And, before you ask, she didn't try to persuade anyone to go bankrupt and feed canned fish eggs to toddlers. Rather, it was meant to show how well the Russians standardized on salty snacks. "Anytime you want to show hospitality, there is caviar on the table," she said.
Americans tend to put caviar on a pedestal because of its cost. Morales pointed out that when she started serving caviar in Kachka, people did not enjoy the expected wonderful texture and quality due to this reverence. Rich flavor. This is a shame, Morales sighed. "When you worry about every little bead, you deceive yourself a little bit."
Writer Seung Hee Lee, like Morales, likes casual caviar. Before moving to the United States, Lee received training in royal Korean court cooking. In her book "Everyday Korean", she translated her traditional cooking methods with local ingredients and tools. Although she called herself a caviar purist in a sense - she liked to drink with her own champagne and tasted champagne for the first time in a fine dining restaurant - but when she realized "If we only eat at home, When it would be cheaper, she fell in love with it."
The service of the restaurant has not increased much except for the display, and in this case its cost is much higher. Instead, deliver a can (or a few cans) at home within your price range and give yourself space to truly enjoy it. Lee opposes the idea that caviar should be eaten in a specific way or with specific foods, and encourages anyone to research and experiment in depth. "Anything that requires crushed sea salt," she said, "you can put caviar on it." But if you want to figure out which type to put, we have listed our six favorites List.
Caviar is expensive for a reason: sturgeons are huge animals with a long life span, and it may take years or even decades for them to mature to spawn. The processing stage is also extracted; the roe must be harvested and washed, sieved, then marinated and packaged. Although caviar is traditionally made from Caspian sturgeon roe, certain types of fish—especially giant beluga whales—are critically endangered. Overfishing has threatened the continued health of this species, so the term "caviar" is now more widely applied to salted and preserved eggs from related fish farmed elsewhere in the world.
It is said that the best quality caviar comes from fish caught or farmed in the coldest waters from late autumn to early spring, but the supplier Alexandre Petrossian-he buys caviar for his family's eponymous store from China, Bulgaria, Israel, Uruguay, Madagascar and the United States- I believe there are many benefits from the global approach. "Each field brings new things to our understanding of caviar," he explained. "One day we may return to the Caspian Sea to farm, but the situation must be very different from today."
The "big three" species of sturgeon are the traditional Caspian types-Sevruga, Osetra and Beluga-and sustainable caviar producers strive to replicate.
Sevruga is the smallest and most abundant of the species, weighs 50 to 75 pounds, is about 3 feet long, and matures within 7 years to produce small, gray, delicately flavored butter eggs.
Osetra is the second largest sturgeon, weighing 150 to 300 pounds, measuring 4 to 6 feet in length, and matures in 12 to 15 years, laying medium-sized, gray-brown to almost golden pepper eggs. One out of 100 fish will lay large and deep golden eggs-expensive king fish eggs.
Beluga whales are the largest and rarest species, weighing up to 3,000 pounds, growing to 12 feet, and have a life span of up to 50 years. Beluga eggs are not available in the United States, although some farms have bred hybrid beluga species to approximate the coveted large gray eggs of this species, which have very delicate skin and clear taste. Since Beluga imports are banned and Sevruga is difficult to obtain, Osetra is the most common of them.
However, now in the United States, you may see and eat more types of caviar.
In Siberia, these small sturgeons, weighing about 150 pounds, tend to mature early, which means they produce a large number of eggs and fish, making them ideal for aquaculture. Small, dark, shiny eggs are the most affordable type of caviar, while smaller, softer beads have a strong marine flavor.
The giant freshwater sturgeon Kaluga is almost extinct in the wild, but the caviar produced by the farmed version has excellent texture. The sturdy, medium-sized beads come in a variety of colors, but almost always have a mouth-watering "pop", as well as complex salty and buttery flavors.
White, a native species of California, is now farmed across the United States and represents most of the domestic caviar scene. Buttery eggs are small and delicate, on the dark side, have a rich flavor and remain consistent throughout the bite.
The reality is that you are unlikely to find wild caviar. Although some people still covet the traditional version, the long lifespan of sturgeon and the declining population make it an unsustainable or unaffordable choice for any participant, dinner or producer. Morales points out that an interesting thing about this is that it motivates sturgeon farmers to reproduce according to the characteristics they think their customers want to see-such as larger eggs, lighter colors, and tight beads-but It does not necessarily produce the best flavor.
Although the caviar here is freshly marinated, there are other styles to choose from. Squeezing the caviar presses the broken and cracked eggs (naturally) into a jam. Pasteurized caviar heats the eggs slightly to keep them stable, but they lose a bit of the boasted "pop" texture and fresh flavor.
This sustainable farmed caviar from the Netherlands is eye-catching, complex and creamy, with all the best ingredients for edible caviar. The huge green-gold and light black beads pop out satisfactorily in the mouth, giving way to a silky, well-structured texture, releasing a rich salty taste on the tongue. Packaging without preservatives or additives, it maintains the required complexity and taste evolution without affecting the upper layer of the caviar price.
Paying more for caviar does not always provide a better product. Paying less does not mean you will not like it that much. It means you can find quality caviar for less than $100 per ounce. Although there are tight budget caviar options, such as hackerback and cheaper Siberian sturgeon options, this Osietra Supreme is somewhere between high-end taste and reasonable prices. Farmed in Poland, the sturdy, medium-sized beads have a pleasant mineral and soft salty taste.
In addition to producing these two high-quality, reasonably priced caviar, Pearl Street also pays special attention to sustainable development, even through transportation. The cans are packed in flexible packaging, insulated with wool, as a compostable alternative to foam, and refrigerated in biodegradable ice packs.
Most importantly, their prices are reasonable in ounces-Ossetra is $77 and Keluga is $100, both of which have their own performance in similar styles of wine tasting. Pearl Street offers 12-gram servings (US$31 and US$44, respectively), giving novices a chance to try it before spending a lot of money. Even better, their Pearl Duo can buy both products for only $72, plus beautiful accessories: a can opener, a mother-of-pearl spoon in a pouch, and a snack pack, which includes surprisingly delicious whipped cream, potatoes Slices and chives. It basically has everything you need for a private caviar tasting.
Due to the ban on the import of beluga whales, many sturgeon farmers and caviar producers aim to get as close as possible to the coveted wild flavor of their eggs. This beluga-Siberian hybrid, cultivated in Italy, displays the large pearls known to beluga whales, but with Siberian black ink. Its beads are rich in flavor and evolve into caramel flavor, complemented by the signature texture and complexity.
Island Creek is known for its oysters and also incorporates the same stringent seafood procurement standards into its caviar, especially osetra in North Carolina. Although imported caviar can use sodium tetraborate to help preserve it, it is not allowed in American food production. Morales thinks this is a plus because it rounds the edges of the caviar and sweetens the caviar, which makes the caviar bland. "If it tastes nothing, it smells nothing," she said, "it might be because it hides something."
Island Creek’s osetra is known for its small, firm texture, rich saltiness, and rollercoaster-like flavor in every bite—this is what sodium tetraborate can hinder. This is a delightful caviar that has a good popularity and shows a sea salty taste without overwhelming its subtle, almost fruity taste.
Another outstanding American caviar from one of Morales' favorite producers, Tsar Nicoulai has been sustainably farming white sturgeon not far from California's natural habitat for nearly four years. Select showcases medium-sized beads with a soft pop and miso-like complexity, which is highlighted due to low salinity or "malossol", which means less salt. This lightweight hand can retain the egg itself and its natural flavor.
Morales said it was as cold as possible in the refrigerator. She suggested avoiding the door because it will be warmer. Lee recommends putting the ice pack in a heat-resistant glass or similar container, and then putting the caviar on it to keep it cold. Most jars or cans will last for several months before you break into them. But once it is opened, the quality will start to decline, so plan to eat it soon.
Morales often sees people in scarcity mode, eating only a few beads at a time, but she recommends ensuring that there is enough to eat a whole bite and try to eat directly from the back of the hand. This helps heat the caviar to the right temperature and allows you to really taste it. During Kachka's happy hour, she spreads it on bread with butter. She prefers the traditional French whipped cream topping because the latter's acidity is reduced rather than enhanced.
Lee likes the traditional way of using pancakes and whipped cream or oysters, but also puts it on steamed tea bowls, scallion pancakes, or even tortillas coated with cream cheese. "The combination of elegance and vulgarity is my heart," she said.
Morales also added that this has nothing to do with the service you provide, but more about how to serve. She said that people focus on crushed ice, which is one of her most annoying things. The cold will make the taste weaker, so she recommends taking it out and bringing it to room temperature a few minutes before eating.
As mentioned above, Lee always drinks Champagne with her, especially inclined to mixed or high acid choices. She likes to balance the saltiness. Her suggestions include Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill, Krug, and bottles from Frederic Savart. She also recommends super cold, high-quality Korean shochu, similar to one of Morales’s caviar and sake drinks. But Morales's favorite is vodka. "It's super neutral and clean, so it can help you really taste the caviar."
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