Caspian Caviar

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Caspian Caviar White

LAUNCH: Caspian Caviar White You may recall that last Christmas, and then again at Easter, we were able to source a small quantity of fantastically priced caviar that we then called “Privilege”. It was from a stock of Transmontanus sturgeon in Italy. We had such good feedback that we have been working with the producers to secure a bigger supply. This we now have, so we have now included it in our range as Caspian Caviar White. The Transmontanus sturgeon is also known as White sturgeon, hence why we named... Read More

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TRUFFLE SALAD?!?

It does sound a little weird, but it can work. I had not really considered using Truffle Oil in a salad dressing but now I am a convert. The other day, I was presented with a salad of rocket and pea shoots, with thinly sliced apple and courgettes, with a light blue cheese. It was dressed with a simple concoction of black truffle oil and balsamic vinegar. It was delicious. The key ingredient was the blue cheese, which combined with the truffle to give the whole salad a sensational flavour.... Read More

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Brexit and Caviar

Now that it seems certain that the UK will be leaving the EU in two years time, what will this mean for the caviar industry? The real answer is “No idea” because I dont think anybody does know at this point in time. The key will be our future trading relationship with the EU. Here at Caspian, we currently import all of our caviar from, or via, the EU. Will we have to pay some sort of tariff post 2019? It is not a nice thought. Worse still is the... Read More

Caspian Oscietra v. Black Oscietra

“Black Oscietra” sounds like some dark Knight from Transylvania during the Dark Ages, but I do in fact refer to Oscietra from the Black Sea, or at least originally from the Black Sea. I will explain. I recently went on a tasting tour which took me a long way east. So far east in fact, that I ended up in a place which still thought that it was part of the USSR, but that is another story. One of the most interesting aspects of the tasting visit was the fact... 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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White Russian

The heading should really be White v. Russian, but I rather liked the way that it suggested a cocktail. If you are wondering what I am talking about, the answer is, of course, sturgeon. The White Sturgeon is also known as Transmontanus and the Russian Sturgeon is better known as Oscietra. Its scientific name is tricky to spell, so I will stick with Oscietra. But why am I putting them up against each other? There is no contest: Oscietra is the most wonderful caviar, and Transmontanus is not. I have... Read More

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Vegetarian Caviar: Why Do They Bother?

From time to time, I come across inventions and creations which seem so utterly pointless, all I can think is “Why do they bother?” Into this category I must put such useless items such as electric pepper grinders, square steering wheels, iWatches and most of the things that I am given for Christmas. Also falling firmly into this category comes “Vegetarian Caviar”. For some extraordinary reason, some people seem to think that it is a sensible occupation to make spheres of seaweed, add some gloop and pretend that it looks... Read More

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10% OFF OSCIETRA AND THE RETURN OF THE BARD

10% OFF OSCIETRA Looking at my records, I see that it really is some time since I let you have some of our excellent Oscietra at a discount, so time I did. This is the “Little Brother” of our Royal Oscietra, which many of you enjoyed last month. It has the same great flavour, but slightly smaller eggs. It looks great, with tobacco brown variations through out and it is a big favourite here in the office. The offer will run until the end of the month. THE BARD OF... 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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Sibirskye Caviar

This caviar comes from Siberian (Baerii) Sturgeon, which is a main stay of the farming industry, both in its pure form and use in hybridisation. The name, Sibirskye, is simply Siberian in Russian. I thought that up in a rare moment of creativity and have been pleased with myself ever since. The reason that Siberian Sturgeon are used so widely is that they mature relatively quickly for a sturgeon and can produce very good quality caviar. They mature at around 8 years of age and the caviar tends to be... Read More