As a Chef, you will receive many offers and deals for inexpensive caviar from multiple dealers.
Many customers will face confusion when purchasing caviars of unknown origin along with mislabeled and unfamiliar names.
We have put together a few guidelines to consider when purchasing so you can be informed of what to beware of. Of course, the most important part of the caviar scenario is freshness and quality – a guarantee that Supreme Lobster & Seafood Company has upheld throughout our over 30 years of experience in caviar trade.
CHECK THE LABEL
First and foremost is to understand how your caviar is labeled. The most common flag to look out for is anything that says “Russian Osetra” or “Russian Imperial”. In most cases, “Russian” refers to the species, not the country of origin. Caviar from the Caspian Sea and all Russian Osetra Caviar – in fact ANY wild caviar export – has been closed to harvest for years by CITES (Convention for Trade in Endangered Species).
Anytime you see the word “Caspian” on the label you need to be wary of what is inside. “Caspian” refers sturgeon caught in the Caspian Sea that primarily borders Russia and Iran and remains closed to the export of ANY caviar. U.S. Fish and Wildlife monitors all caviar imported from outside the United States, and only purveyors with a CITES permit that assures the origin and species of the sturgeon are legitimate.
CAUTION WHEN BUYING BELUGA
Beware of any caviar labeled with “Beluga”, “River Beluga”, “Chinese Beluga” or any other words that include “Beluga”. Beluga Sturgeon is completely banned from Import into the United States and is a species (Huso huso) that primarily exists in the Caspian Sea. The Beluga Sturgeon is globally banned from harvest, and anything named “River Beluga” is most likely Huso dauricus or “Kaluga” which originates in China. This should not be labeled as “Beluga” in any way as the Kaluga Sturgeon is only a distant cousin to true Beluga (Huso huso).
SIBERIAN STURGEON AND OSETRA STURGEON CAVIARS
Caviar that is labeled as “Siberian Osetra” is very misleading. The Siberian sturgeon ( Ascipenser baeri) is a totally separate species than Osetra (Ascipenser guldenstaedti). The Osetra sturgeon produces a much larger grain than its cousin, the Siberian Sturgeon, which is generally a smaller fish than the Osetra in the wild. Siberian sturgeon is much less known (only one farm in the U.S. raises it) and produces a smaller grain egg, so quite often deceiving dealers try to sell it this way. Siberian caviar should also be less expensive.
KNOW THE SPECIES
You should always be aware as to what species your caviar is, the country of origin of the caviar, and the farm harvest date (all imported legitimate sturgeon caviar is available only as farm raised due to the protective ban on wild sturgeon stocks). Every importer is required by Federal law to have a CITES Permit to guarantee species, A “Certificate of Origin” that guarantees where the caviar was harvested, and a “Labeling Report” that shows the harvest date. As a discerning customer you should feel free to ask for these documents. Beware if a supplier or dealer cannot produce these documents or finds an excuse to not give you this information.
TRACEABILITY
You should always be aware as to what species your caviar is, the country of origin of the caviar, and the farm harvest date (all imported legitimate sturgeon caviar is available only as farm raised due to the protective ban on wild sturgeon stocks). Every importer is required by Federal law to have a CITES Permit to guarantee species, A “Certificate of Origin” that guarantees where the caviar was harvested, and a “Labeling Report” that shows the harvest date. As a discerning customer you should feel free to ask for these documents. Beware if a supplier or dealer cannot produce these documents or finds an excuse to not give you this information.
FRESHNESS
All caviar must have a “Best Consumed By” date as would any perishable fresh fish or packaged food. This usually is placed on the container along with the lot number. After all, why would you purchase premium “fresh caviar” without evidence of when it was harvested, packaged, or subject to expiration?
At Supreme Lobster & Seafood Company, we take great pride in guaranteeing only the highest quality, freshest caviars in the world. We strongly believe that having a well informed public allows us to stand above all others in the industry as the pinnacle supplier of Premium Caviars & Specialty Roes. We look forward to another busy Holiday Season & are confident we will be able to exceed all of your expectations when filling your Caviar needs this season!
The only 100% sustainable Caviar Program in America has some of the most well respected experts in the industry grading and packing our product daily.
Meet Rod Browne Mitchell of Browne Trading Company! We are proud to be the exclusive distributor of this legendary product line.
Storage, Care, & Recommended Servings
Coral Caviar Presentation
– Chef Anthony Martin / Tru
While Chefs across the country are continually finding new & innovative approaches to serving Caviar on their menus, the Holiday season offers unique opportunities to offer menu supliments in both traditional & non traditional formats.
Caring for Caviar
Caviar should be kept in the coldest part of your refrigerator and should never be frozen. It will remain optimum in the coldest part of your refrigerator unopened for 6-10 weeks and once opened for 3 days.
Air is caviar’s number one enemy. Ideally it is best to purchase containers in increments you will consume in a single sitting. Thus you may want to consider a couple of smaller tins rather than one larger one. The slight cost difference buying this way is money well spent as the quality will not be jeopardized when intended for multiple experiences.
Caviar & Vodka Serving Vessel
Caviar & Blinis
– Center Bar, New York
Traditional Caviar Service
Caviar can be enjoyed in numerous ways. For an unadulterated experience use a mother of pearl utensil as the use of metal utensils will detract from the caviars true essence on your pallet. Consider serving caviar on blinis with crème fraiche, thin toast points lightly coated with sweet butter, or on boiled petit potatoes.
Suggested Serving Sizes
- 20g. – One person
- 50g./ 2oz. – 2-3 people medium hors d’oeuvres or 4 people light hors d’oeuvres
- 125g./ 4.5oz. – 4-6 people medium hors d’oeuvres or 6-10 people light hors d’oeuvres
- 250g./ 7oz. – 10-15 people medium hors d’oeuvres or 18-20 people light hors d’oeuvres
- 500g./ 1Lb. – 20-25 people medium hors d’oeuvres or 35-45 people light hors d’oeuvres
- 1 kilo/2.2 Lb. – 50-60 people medium hors d’oeuvres or 80-90 people light hors d’oeuvres
Allow refrigerated caviar to sit (unopened) at room temperature for 5-10 minutes prior to serving. Traditionally caviar is served in a two-piece service set, the top holding the delicate eggs and the bottom containing shaved ice. Using the bowl of your choice gently transfer the caviar from its tin and nestle the bowl over ice to remain chilled throughout your indulgence. If you have purchased more than you are serving the remaining caviar should be softly spread flat, taking care to not break any of the eggs, and then covered with plastic wrap pressing down ever so gently on the top so there is no air space between the eggs and the wrap. The remaining caviar should be consumed within the preceding three days.
Contact us
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