On New Year’s we indulge in the finer things. We eat decadent foods and sip fancy drinks. Hence the classic New Year’s Eve combo of Champagne and caviar.
But for those of us who don’t eat caviar on a regular basis, we can feel a little lost. How do we know what we’re buying? And what do we do with it when we get home?
A Little Caviar History
Caviar—the salt-cured roe of the sturgeon—has been an international delicacy for centuries, often served with great fanfare at royal banquets in Europe and Russia.
In 1873, a German immigrant to the U.S. named Henry Schach decided to take advantage of the abundant sturgeon in the Delaware River, and began exporting caviar to Europe. By the end of the 19th century, the U.S. was exporting 90% of the world’s caviar. Restaurants and bars in America sold servings of caviar for a nickel to encourage drinking.
This caviar-loving frenzy led to the overfishing of sturgeon both here and abroad. Today caviar is a luxury good that most of us enjoy on special occasions, which is a shame. Because caviar pairs well with all kinds of everyday foods, from scrambled eggs to pizza.
Choices, Choices, Choices
For the holidays, we’ve brought in a nice selection of caviar from Sasanian Caviar, a leading source of high-quality imported and American caviar. If you’re new to caviar, or aren’t familiar with this year’s varieties, stop by the Meat & Seafood counter. We love to talk caviar!
Here’s what we’ve got in the case:
Classic Osetra
Unique, clean, sweet, crisp, with a nutty flavor. Produced by fresh sustainable sturgeon, with small to medium-size dark pearls.
Royal Osetra
Raised in pristine settings. Freshest and highest-grade caviar. Its pearls are firm with a smooth nutty flavor.
American Black
Also called “Choupique” or “Cajun Caviar.” Harvested from wild Bowfin fish. Mild, tangy flavor, and firm texture. Good substitute for Beluga.
Premium Sturgeon
Pearls are medium and jet black in color. Taste is smooth and fresh. Processed under genuine Caspian techniques, without preservatives.
Imperial Osetra
Sasanian’s scarcest caviar. Golden pearls, smooth buttery taste, and fresh crisp aroma of the sea.
Ghost Pepper
Delicate and fresh wild American Bowfin Caviar infused with a secret Louisiana recipe of fine sea salt and ghost pepper, one the spiciest culinary peppers available.
Siberian Baerri
Medium-dark pearl and creamy in texture, with a crisp and nutty taste. An excellent garnish or introductory caviar.
How to Serve Your Caviar
Create a caviar board featuring homemade blinis and accoutrements. Blinis are Russian pancakes, and they’re perfect for serving caviar. Here’s how to make two different styles of blini.
For the board, all you need is caviar, chopped eggs, minced capers, minced red onion, and crème fraiche. Check out this terrific article that walks you through the process of making your own blinis and designing your DIY caviar board.
Oh, and don’t forget the Champagne!