Caviar is one of the most expensive foods in the world. It has always been an epitome of luxury and wealth. Although many of us have heard about it not many have had the chance to taste it. Advances in aquaculture techniques have made it easier to farm sturgeon quite easily.
Different kinds of caviar are available in the market based on the species of sturgeon being harvest and the techniques employed during the process. This also results in differences in texture, flavor and appearance. Cured eggs from American spoonbill and salmon are also sold as caviar. If it’s your first time indulging in this luxurious treat, then this review will help you to choose which brand product to invest in.
Quick Comparison: Top 10 Best Caviar
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1. Marky’s Hackleback Caviar Black American Sturgeon
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The American Hackleback Caviar lets you indulge in intense and rich taste of caviar. It is one of the true sturgeons and its taste is quite similar to Osetra and Sevruga. It is one of the most affordable caviars as it starts carrying eggs after four years.
Offered by a reputable company, the caviar is quite small and glossy. This caviar from Marky’s is savory and aromatic. It resembles small pearly grains and has been made in the USA. It has a shelf life of four to six weeks upon refrigeration. It has a very soft cover protected due to manual processing.
The company has its own breeding farm which was established during 2005. This caviar has a buttery flavor. The roe is gray in color, is medium sized and of high quality. Although a few people feel it has an aftertaste, the quality and flavor are worth the price.
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2. Marky’s American Salmon Roe Pink Caviar
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Pink Salmon Roe is one of the most abundant and smallest species of the Pacific salmons. Despite the meat obtained from pink salmon is quite lean, the caviar has just the right amount of fat. Roe synthesized from pink salmon feature orange eggs with a distinct flavor.
American salmon caviar has a strong flavor. It makes a great addition to omelet during breakfast. Pink salmons harvested from clean fresh water have the lowest salt content. Offered from a reputed brand, this caviar has been cured with salt.
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3. Bemka American Sturgeon Hackleback Wild Caviar
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Bemka Corporation has been into caviar business since 1984. It has garnered reputation for farming caviar internationally and distributing domestic wild caviar. The company sources Wild Hackleback Caviar from Mississippi and Missouri rivers. It has a buttery flavor and is subtly salted.
Bemka’s hackleback wild caviar is a great alternative to Caspian Ossetra. It is one of the best tasting and a less expensive option. The roe tastes creamy and has a delicate flavor. It has a great balance of flavors.
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4. Olma Beluga Sturgeon Hybrid Caviar
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Olma Sturgeon Caviar is the most revered fish caviar in the world. It is one of the most prominent sources of black caviar. The Beluga hybrid variant possesses a mild buttery note when compared to traditional Beluga caviar. It also has nutty and earthy tones usually found in Siberian sturgeon.
The trademark characteristics of this hybrid caviar are its creamy and rich flavor. The large-sized pearly grains have a buttery and smooth consistency. The pearls range from light grey to black shade. Olma is a major producer of fine caviar, fish, meat and other gourmet foods.
It imports varieties of red and black caviar from Israel, Italy, USA, Russia and South Korea. The company is a great source for remarkably delicious caviar.
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5. Roland Caviar
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Roland Caviar is a leader in importing and marketing superior quality food products. The company adheres to stringent standards and employs the best technologies to offer premium caviar and exceptional gourmet food to its customers. This red caviar comes real close to tasting like real sturgeon caviar.
It tastes excellent when paired with cream cheese and cracker. It can also be used as a garnish in salad recipes. The only drawback is that the color has been enhanced with edible food dye coloring. This caviar has been produced from lumpfish roe caught in between Denmark and Iceland.
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6. Black Pearl Ossetra Sturgeon Caviar
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This caviar is obtained from wildly grown sturgeon from the Thousand Island Lake. The lake is a vast stretch of crystal clear water spanning over 220 square miles and is surrounded by virgin forests. The highly priced Osetra Sturgeon is cultured here under environmental friendly and pristine conditions.
Black Pearl Ossetra Sturgeon caviar is word class quality caviar and is at par with the best sturgeon caviars available in the market. The color varies from pearl grey to dark grey. The flavor of Black Pearl caviar is buttery and strong. The aftertaste is long lasting which is quiet inherent to sturgeon caviar.
This caviar has been cured in Russian Molosol style. No preservatives have been added to this caviar. The contents are packed in vacuum-sealed tins that have been made in France.
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7. Black Diamond Hackleback Caviar
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This hackleback caviar has been sourced from the Mississippi river. Hackleback is referred to as American Sturgeon which is quite similar to its European parts. It is utilized by many elite chefs all over the world. Hackleback fish is usually caught in estuaries of Mississippi.
Black Diamond Hackleback Caviar is jet black in color. The firm texture offers the pop and has a buttery, smooth taste. The flavor is subtle and this makes it a great option for first-timers. The caviar is packed beautifully and would make a great gift.
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8. Bemka Russian Ossetra Crown Farmed Caviar
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This caviar is sourced from Russian Ossetra Sturgeon that has been farm raised. The caviar obtained is usually large brown in color.
Bemka Russian Ossetra caviar is quite expensive in comparison to other options available in the market. It is of highest quality among all farmer caviars. The reason for the excellent quality is that this farmed sturgeon is the actual species belonging to the north Caspian Sea.
Both morals and standards are met while farming this caviar. The large grains, juicy texture and nutty flavor make this a great option for caviar lovers. The quality standards and hygiene measures are managed by Avant-garde systems.
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9. Sasanian Sturgeon Osetra Caviar
Highlighted Features
If you are looking for freshly produced and finest caviar, then you can consider premium sturgeon caviar. This true caviar is sourced from clean spring waters. The eggs are grey in color and are of medium size. The caviar is freshly packed and tastes buttery and smooth.
This product is shipped in thermos-secure box which contains ice packs for retaining the freshness. This is the finest caviar available in the market. The premium Sturgeon is processed utilizing Caspian methods. The only thing about this caviar is that the quality is not consistent.
Moreover, there are a few buyers have reported receiving mushy eggs. The label does not offer any information regarding the species from which roe is obtained. Overall, the flavor, grade and price of this caviar are all on point.
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10. Bemka Paddlefish Caviar
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The caviar obtained from American Paddlefish is comparable in size, color and taste to that of caviar obtained from Caspian Sevruga. The color of the caviar varies from light to dark grey. It has a complex flavor and is rick, silky and smooth.
Paddlefish is obtained from the Mississippi river. Paddlefish caviar is widely popular among epicureans and chefs. It is served on blinis with crème fraiche and on canapes.
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Things to Consider Before Purchasing Caviar
Know the source
Caviar is the roe of sturgeon. You need to make sure that you are spending your money on it and not on any other old fish eggs being sold in fancy tins. 27 species of sturgeon are available. Caspian Sea sturgeons are on the top of the table. Caviar made from Beluga, Sevruga and Osetra are quite expensive. These species are all endangered. The next popular caviars are obtained from Hackleback, Siberian, American and European Osetra. These are known for their nutty and buttery flavors. These are also reasonable in price.
Look for alternative options available
Paddlefish sturgeon is also considered a premiere non-sturgeon source of caviar. The eggs obtained from this fish are small and silver gray in color. These taste quite close to traditional caviar and are also quite expensive. Salmon eggs are large and juicy. Other alternatives are used only for garnishing.
Take a look at the label
Every caviar vendor offers a tiered selection of their offerings. There are certain vendors who do not follow the standard conventions and make negative associations with certain species. You need to make sure to take a clear look at what is being offered to you. Do not ignore the source from which your caviar is coming. This will help you understand what you are paying for.
Do not make any assumptions about the origin
The geography of caviar has been tremendously impacted over the last two decades. Fancy farmers have popped up everywhere. You can find freshly farmed produces from Belgium, Canada, Israel, Iceland, Spain, China, Poland, Italy, France and Uruguay. Although you may find Russian sturgeon written on several labels, you can be misled to believing that they are from natural sources. They may be farmed and may not be from natural environments. The end product may not be comparable with the original product. Make sure to read the label carefully before purchasing any product. If you neglect, then you may have to compromise with flavor, texture and colors.
Keep an eye on flavored fish variants
You need to remember that there are many caviar variants available in market that are made from local fishes and then dyed to appear like expensive versions. Low-end caviar market is robbing the experience of indulging in premium quality versions. The flavored versions also mask the core ingredient to trick you in purchasing the product.
Always purchase from a reputed source
If you do not want to be tricked into buying a cheap alternative to premium caviar, then you need to make sure to always make a purchase from a reliable and reputed source. You can consider the brands that we have offered in this review. These have been listed after a thorough research on the quality of offering.
Conclusion
It would not be wrong to say that caviar is king when it comes to lavish food. It is a delicacy that is usually served during special events. It is ridiculously expensive and can put a dent in your wallet. If you are a first-time buyer then you may find the entire process to be overwhelming and intimidating. You do not have to fret as this review offers some knowledge about how you need to go about the entire process.