Tag

eating caviar

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OCTOBER TASTING OF TRANSMONTANUS CAVIAR

As I have often said, I am not that keen on caviar derived from Transmontanus, or White Sturgeon as they are more commonly known. These fish are not white, but their flesh is making them prized for their meat, with the caviar being a bit of a side show. I have tasted more bad than good, although I do very much like what we sell as Caspian Caviar White Caviar. Thus I was intrigued when a large producer offered to send three samples of different grades of transmontanus. Would I... Read More

Second August Caviar Tasting

This has been a busy month for tasting, with several producers sending samples in the hope of being selected for our range. After our last tasting of several Siberian (Baerii) caviars, this time we looked at the more unusual. We tried a Sevruga and a Golden Sterlet, both from farms in Italy. To add a little context we also included some of our Royal Oscietra. I have often said that sourcing good Sevruga is a tricky job, and I had high hopes for this example. It looked the part –... Read More

February Caviar Tasting at Caspian Caviar

I have often been heard to remark how the over all quality of farmed caviar has improved over the last 5 or so years. Once upon a time, the quality of samples was a bit of a lottery. Recently, the samples have been consistently good, providing good competition across the range. However, some samples we received earlier this month were a throw back to earlier, simpler times, when would-be suppliers could be discounted with ease. The farm lay further east than where we normally source and was situated in a... Read More

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October Caviar Tasting

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of providing the starter, plus a little caviar knowledge, for a dinner party hosted by a client of ours. In truth, he had bought the “Caviar Tasting Experience” at a charity auction. Caspian Caviar was delighted to provide something a little different for a local charity auction and it turned out to be something of the star lot. It made rather a good price, so I had to be on top form, with my wit and charm being rolled out of cold storage... Read More

July Caviar Tasting No1

Tough job I know, but people do keep sending us caviar to taste. We welcome it as we do like to see what is on the market to ensure that our range is up to scratch. If we come across a caviar which is better than we stock and is offered at a sensible price, then we will change supplier just so long as they dont demand a minimum order of 100kg! So first up this month was a Sevruga caviar from Iran. As I keep saying, good Servruga is... Read More

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5 more Caviar Questions & Answers from Caspian Caviar

My last blog with 5 Questions & Answers all about caviar went down rather well, so here are another 5 Questions and Answers covering other aspects of caviar. Are there any traditions to eating caviar? (such as tableware, etc) Yes. Caviar is traditionally served on ice. This leads some people to believe that if it is not ice cold at all times, it will immediately go off. This is not the case. It is served on ice as it tastes best that way. Try it at room temperature and you... Read More

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5 Caviar Questions and Answers from Caspian Caviar

What does caviar taste like? On the face of it, this seems such a simple question, but it is really rather a tricky one to answer. The simple, if rather facetious, answer is “Like caviar”. The problem is that it really tastes like nothing else so it is very hard to describe. In our efforts to convey the taste, we in the trade often resort to using descriptions such as “buttery”, “creamy”, “with hints of the sea”, “whiffs of walnuts” etc etc. All may well be true to varying degrees,... Read More

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TOAST!

We do sometimes discuss with customers what is the best medium on which to serve caviar: blinis or toast? Some find blinis rather on the soggy side of life and prefer the crunch of toast. We associate blinis with Russia, but many of the Russians that I speak to always take their caviar on toast. However, perhaps the question is not as simple as merely blinis v. toast. After all, there are many types of bread and many types of toast. I often see caviar being served with “French Toast”... Read More

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Summer Loving……….

Recently, I had a lovely query from a customer asking for advice on how he should prepare for a romantic caviar picnic with his wife in order to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. As this may not be the only romantic picnic planned this summer, I thought that I would share my advice: As for the caviar, trying a selection is always fun and informative as it gives you a chance to identify the differences. However, this does not seem very relevant to an anniversary and could complicate the logistics... Read More

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Where to eat Caviar

A little while ago, I was asked to write a piece for  a yacht charter company. They got quite insistent so I did manage to get round to it and duly sent it across the water to the US of A. I thought it was rather good. I dont know what they thought of it as they never even thanked me, let alone commented. On the basis of “waste not, want not” here it is in all is glory: “Now, I am not known to be a fusspot, and certainly... Read More