A Guide to Russian Caviar

Russian caviar is among the most famous varieties of caviar. The name beluga is synonymous with prosperity and luxury and is widely considered the premium variety of caviar for the size, taste and fragrance of its roe. Each pearl as they are sometimes called, is generally the size of a little pea, although the specific dimensions are determined by the type and size of the sturgeon it is harvested from. Each pearl has a prominent dark spot, called a watch, which is the actual egg cell itself. The beluga sturgeon is most commonly harvested in the Caspian Ocean, but there is a long-running discussion as to whether the Black Sea variety is actually tastier, a discussion that aficionados are in no hurry to resolve.

Not as famous, but equally as prized by connoisseurs are the Sevruga and Osetra varieties of Russian caviar. Sevruga has the strongest flavor of all Russian caviars and the eggs are smaller than additional premium varieties, producing a mildly saltier taste weight loss eggs burst for each bite than Beluga. Many caviar connoisoirs will recommend that you buy Sevruga caviar first when buying Russian caviar the very first time. Osetra is a unique golden brown color and is considered second in grade only to Beluga. The actual roe are only slightly smaller than beluga and have a flavor frequently described as nutty. The kaluga is a lesser known number of premium Russian caviar, harvested from sturgeon in the Amur, a river in Siberia. The actual roe of this variety are inky black and have an earthy tang common to freshwater caviar.

The higher grades associated with Russian caviar are usually sold as "malassol", a Russian term literally converted as "little salt." This term indicates the high quality of the roe, because lesser quality roe are processed with more than the five percent of salt added to malassol caviar. The much less salt added, the greater the caviar, although this does make the roe more perishable.

Another Russian term important to know when purchasing caviar is "payusnaya" which means pushed. Any roe that are broken or weakened during the filtering process tend to be set aside for pushing, resulting in a caviar product that is actually closer to a fresh fruit jam. Pressed caviar has an intense flavor and is a popular product with chefs who want to include caviar flavor to their cooking creations without paying high quality prices.

Once reserved for the Czar's table, you can now buy Osetra caviar, sevruga caviar, beluga caviar, or any other Euro caviar online by a person with the desire to sample this world famous premium delight.