FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

by Mark R. Vogel

Caviar. You either love it or hate it. For some it is an unctuous delicacy. For others it's overpriced, salty, fishy tasting goo. How does caviar taste? Well, yes, it is fishy and salty but there is also a richer flavor as well.

Caviar is high in fat and cholesterol which intermingles with the other flavors to produce a savory succulence. Like many exotic delectables, I imagine it's an acquired taste. If you've acquired that taste, or at least a curiosity for it, then read on comrade.

"Real" caviar is the roe, (yes, fish eggs), of specific sturgeon, principally from the Caspian Sea. The three main types, from highest price and quality to lowest are beluga, osetra, and sevruga.

They are named for the species of sturgeon from which they emanate. You can walk into any supermarket's canned fish aisle and find lumpfish or salmon roe but connoisseurs will tell you that this is not caviar.

The discerning palate will readily recognize the difference between these "caviars" and their Caspian counterparts. However, the difference between beluga, osetra, and sevruga is subtler.

Is the $70 per ounce beluga twice as good as the $35 per ounce sevruga? Well, that's like asking if the $200 a bottle wine is twice as good as the $100. The answer is no but if your willing or able to pay a higher price for disproportionately greater quality, the option exists.

Caviar is expensive for two main reasons. First is simple economics: supply and demand. The fishery is limited and somewhat depleted from over-harvesting but the world demand is high. Secondly, a considerable amount of time, effort, and labor is required to tap this precious resource.

Caviar is extremely perishable and should be packed in ice for the trip home from the store and then refrigerated. The sooner it's consumed the better. Serve it in a bowl placed in a larger bowl of ice.

The classic method of serving caviar is with toast points, (small triangular pieces of toast). For the purist, the toast is not eaten with the caviar but merely used to hold it as it is scraped off with the teeth.