Caviar

True caviar (or caviare) is made from the roe of a number of varieties of sturgeon; the best comes from fish that is harvested from the Caspian Sea by Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia.

Fresh caviar is not salted and requires careful refrigeration; its has a short shelf life of less than a few weeks. Lightly salted caviar ('malossol', from the Russian for 'little salt') has a longer shelf-life: the higher the salt content, the longer it will last. Chilled malossol kept at -2 to 4°C will be edible for up to three months. However, much of the caviar on the market today is pasteurised; this lengthens the shelf life to 12-15 months, although sadly, the high temperatures adversely alter both the taste and texture.

Pressed caviar is slightly cheaper than malassol but is often the first choice of caviar experts. The eggs are poured into cheesecloth bags and drained of some of their liquid, producing a fairly solid mass, saltier than malassol, with a more concentrated flavour.

Caviar is often eaten with a spoon made of mother of pearl, bone, or other non-metallic material, as metal utensils tend to impart an unwelcome metallic taste to the delicate and expensive roe. It may be served in a number of ways, most traditionally on toast points with butter and freshly minced onions or on a blini with either sour cream or crème fraîche. The higher grade caviars usually need very little embellishment and may simply be served with a little lemon.