Caviar is a delightful delicacy that has been around for centuries. Whether you want to try caviar for the first time or find yourself eyeing the dish at functions and events, you should know a few things. Caviar is exquisite, and the flavors can be complex. Understanding the common myths about caviar will help you find the best caviar for your meals and give you more insight into how to enjoy this flavorsome delicacy.
You Can Only Pair Caviar With Blinis or Crackers
Caviar offers a unique texture and flavor that can enhance a wide variety of foods beyond crackers and blinis. Although these pairings work well, your pairing opportunities span well beyond these choices.
For instance, caviar is excellent on pasta, buttered toast points, veggies, fruits, cheese and chocolate. Eggs and black bread with butter are another common food pairing for caviar, and you can expand your flavor palate by trying different caviar types.
If you want to experience the difference between multiple caviar types or find the perfect balance between caviar and your other food, try a small spoonful first. This method will help you identify different flavors and realize the full potential of this delightful delicacy.
Champagne Is the Traditional Pairing
The most traditional pairing for caviar is vodka, which makes sense given its historical foundation. Caviar has origins in the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. These locations nestle into Ukraine and Russia, where vodka is clean and has a cleansing quality that helps enhance every bite.
Pure vodka complements the fatty and salty caviar taste. The subtle vodka notes can enrich the caviar's special notes, crafting a powerful blend every time. However, dry or sour champagne is still an excellent drink to pair with caviar because it can enhance the quality of caviar. Acidic champagne and salty caviar can create a blissful combination that you can delight in on many occasions.
You Should Chew Caviar
It sounds contradictory to avoid chewing, but the best way to experience plain caviar is to use your tongue rather than your teeth. This way, you can feel the bead and get a complete picture of its butteriness and texture as it moves around. Eating caviar is an experience, and different types evoke different flavors and fragrances. To truly appreciate caviar, take the time to admire the aromas and the mouthfeel rather than chewing on it.
All Caviar Tastes the Same
Caviar myths tend to center around the delicacy's taste, but each caviar type offers unique flavors, textures, sizes and fragrances. The taste of caviar can change depending on the fish's environment, diet, water temperature and more. This means caviar from the same type of fish can have subtle differences every time you eat it.
There are five main caviar types, and each has unique flavors:
- Beluga: This caviar type is illegal in the United States but is often considered the most prestigious caviar type in the world. Beluga caviar is a traditional choice and can have a nutty, buttery, creamy or salty taste.
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Ossetra: This caviar is another common choice, usually the second choice behind Beluga in prestige. Ossetra caviar has a long, nutty and buttery finish and a firm texture that leads to a pop in your mouth.
Shop Royal Ossetra Caviar -
Kaluga: Kaluga caviar has a saltier taste than other types. It has a smooth texture that resembles authentic Beluga.
Shop Kaluga Hybrid Reserve Caviar - Sevruga: When you want to appreciate tiny beads and a long finish, Sevruga is the caviar type you should try. Finding Sevruga in its purest form can be challenging, but the buttery finish is well worth the investment.
- American: North America has many great caviar types, like Hackleback and American White Sturgeon. These fish come from various lakes and rivers and their taste difference reflects their unique environments.
You Eat Caviar on a Silver Spoon
Many like to believe that the luxury of caviar calls for gold or silver spoons, but this is not the case. Metal is the enemy of caviar. Metals with a high concentration of a single material do not mix well with the delicacy. You should avoid bronze, aluminum, nickel and silver. Alloys provide a better experience, but omitting metals will be your best bet for an enjoyable, flavorful experience.
Oxygen can alter the metal structures, and even slight alteration can affect how caviar tastes. When you eat caviar with these materials, you'll find that each bite carries a metallic taste. As you continue eating caviar with these spoons, you'll ingest more metal and likely wind up with stained, discolored or splotchy silverware.
Only the Wealthy or Elite Can Enjoy Caviar
One of the most common caviar myths is that only the elite or wealthy can delight in this delicacy. While it's true that the first showings of caviar were in royal or wealthy settings, today's caviar is available to anyone wanting to try it.
Although some caviar will cost a pretty penny, there are many ways to find high-quality and affordable caviar, such as ordering through a trusted retailer like Imperia Caviar. You can also expand beyond authentic caviar to incorporate trout or salmon roe for a more budget-friendly experience.
Additionally, caviar can elevate any meal. You don't need a chef-prepared meal to enjoy the taste of caviar at home. Food from pasta to eggs to chocolate pair well with caviar, and you can find delicious recipes to bring to the table. The days of the elite and wealthy enjoying this delicacy are over, and you can experience caviar at restaurants, during events or at home.
Caviar Should Not Be Ice Cold When Serving
Somewhere along the way, people developed the idea that caviar is best a room temperature. This idea is not true, and you'll have the best experience when you serve caviar cold and keep it on ice. For easy placement, you can rest the caviar tin in a bowl and surround that bowl with ice.
You don't want to freeze caviar because it might affect the texture, but storing and serving cold caviar is the way to go. The best temperature for caviar is between 28 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and you should store it in the coldest spot in your fridge when you're not eating it.
Find High-Quality Caviar From Imperia Caviar
At Imperia Caviar, we believe everyone should be able to find and enjoy authentic caviar at an affordable price. We help break the myth that only the wealthy and elite can afford caviar by offering a range of sizes and fish options alongside a loyalty program, so you can save while enjoying this delightful delicacy.
Whether you're just starting to explore the world of caviar or consider yourself a connoisseur, you can find caviar for every meal or occasion with us. One taste is all it takes, and you can shop for flavorful and authentic caviar online with Imperia Caviar.
