The term "caviar" has come to used for the roe of any fish though most people think of caviar as the roe from sturgeon with Beluga having the cache of being the finest, which it is to most people.
Most other top quality caviar comes from Russia, but Amur caviar comes from the Amur River which is in both Russia and China. In China they farm the Amur breed of caviar sturgeon.
Beluga, Kaluga, Osetra, and Amur caviars differ in sturgeon species, egg size, color, and flavor profiles.
- Beluga Caviar (Huso huso): The rarest and therefore most expensive, it has large, soft, delicate grains ranging from light to dark grey. Its flavor is mild, buttery, and creamy.
- Kaluga Caviar (Huso dauricus): Also known as "River Beluga," it is a large, freshwater sturgeon producing large, glossy eggs ranging from grey to deep olive-brown. It has a similar buttery and rich flavor to Beluga but with a firmer, more "popping" texture.
- Ossetra Caviar (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii): Features medium-sized, firm eggs ranging from dark brown to gold. It has a complex, nutty, and savory flavor profile.
- Amur Caviar (Acipenser schrenckii): Derived from the Amur Sturgeon, this caviar is sometimes referred to as part of the "Amur Kaluga" group. It generally features a firm, creamy texture with a nutty and buttery taste.
In Canada, top quality caviar can be bought from Concord Caviar located in Concord, Ontario. They also sell online, shipped on ice within 48 hours. They sell sturgeon and salmon caviar. Of sturgeon caviar they sell Beluga, Kaluga and Ossetra.
Also in Canada are two online only sellers: Luxe Caviar and Lemberg Canada. Luxe Caviar sells strictly sturgeon caviar. Lemburg Canada sell everything from reasonably priced Salmon Trout to Beluga. Besides beluga, they also sell less expensive sturgeon caviar. Unfortunately Lemburg Canada are frequently out of stock on the more expensive items.
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| Salmon Trout | Beluga |
Another source of caviar is La Maison Nordique in France. Their products can be purchased online or at their boutique located at 221 Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, 75008 Paris (Ternes metro stop). They sell exclusively sturgeon caviar whether from Iran or France. The selection below (left to right) is from cheapest to most expensive. Price is per 15 gram tin.
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| Shadi (€30) | Imperial Caviar of Sologne (€33) | Imperial Osetra Caviar of Sologne (€42) | Beluga Caviar (€115) |
La Maison Nordique also sell a nice presentation tin containing a mother-of-pearl spoon and the Imperial Caviar of Sologne caviar.. It comes in a nice padded, zippered carry case. The caviar was quite good.
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| Imperial Caviar of Sologne & mother-of-pearl spoon (€45) | Mother-of-pearl Spoon |
If you're going to spend all that money on caviar, you might as will spend a few more euros and buy the caviar tin key at La Maison Nordique to open the container with ease without damaging the tin.
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| Caviar key |
As with most caviars, beluga is usually handled with a caviar spoon made of mother of pearl, bone, or other nonmetallic material, as metal utensils are said to impart an unwelcome metallic taste to the delicate roe.
SERVING CAVIAR
Beluga caviar is usually served by itself on toast, unlike other less expensive caviars that can be served in a variety of ways, including in hollowed and cooked new potatoes, on blini, or garnished with sour cream, crème fraîche, chopped onions, or minced hard boiled egg whites. (Source: Wikipedia)
For my caviar, I did the standard way of serving caviar on blinis. See my recipe here.
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| Caviar with blinis |
Lemberg Canada is a subsidiary of Lemberg Kaviar, Germany. Their Beluga Caviar 50gm jar sells for €140 in Germany which equals approximately CDN$200. They sell the same jar here for $260, a 27% premium!
