Why There's Never Been A Better Time to Buy Caviar

Caviar has long been associated with unattainable luxury. But those who lump sturgeon roe in with the pleasures of the .0001% might be surprised to find that in recent years, caviar has become a more egalitarian treat. Now, it's just as acceptable to pair caviar with Champagne as it is to scoop it up with Doritos, pile it on hot dogs, or serve it with buckets of fried chicken. You might say caviar is having its blue jeans moment.

What is caviar?

Caviar is a term that specifically describes sturgeon eggs. “Everything else is just roe,” says Darra Goldstein, a Russian food historian who has written extensively about the delicacy. When the female sturgeon reaches full maturity and is preparing to spawn, her eggs are harvested, treated with salt, and tinned. (“Harvesting” is a euphemism for killing the fish to extract the eggs. There are experimental methods that spare the sturgeon’s life, but experts say the resulting caviar is subpar.)

Why is most caviar farmed?

Until the early 21st century, much of the caviar imported to the United States was a wild-caught rarity, coming primarily from Russia and the faraway Caspian Sea. Sources were few and unreliable. But factors including overfishing, poaching, and pollution have led to the near-extinction of Caspian sturgeon. According to the National Wildlife Federation, between 1985 and 2005, the number of sturgeon in the Caspian Sea diminished by nearly 90%. Subsequently, the United Nations banned the import of Caspian caviar in 2006 and now, the caviar we eat is mostly farmed. Many of the aquafarms that sprung up to compensate for wild sturgeon’s decline have come of age. For consumers, that has meant more consistent, more traceable, and in many cases, more affordable sources for the esteemed fish egg.

Why is caviar more affordable now?

While caviar production was previously limited to a few places in the world, today’s far-flung aquafarms are peppered throughout the globe. The top producer is China, where a single farm called Kaluga Queen is responsible for a third of the world’s supply, flooding the market and driving global prices down. As is the case with Kaluga Queen, which cultivates varieties native to China’s Amur River, many farms breed species indigenous to their regions. 

The proliferation of aquafarms has ushered in a sea-change of caviar varieties on the market. “When I grew up in the industry, it was just sevruga, osetra, and beluga,” says Markus Draxler, owner of Solex-Catsmo, a purveyor of caviar and other fine foods. The once-dominant Caspian troika has been joined by species such as white sturgeon, Siberian, kaluga, and hybrids that were developed for their eggs. Now there’s even wild-caught caviar that can be safely enjoyed, like hackleback from the Mississippi River. 

Plus, viral caviar trends (caviar on Pringles, anyone?) and the presence of high-quality caviar on grocery shelves suggests a democratization of the luxury item, inspiring home cooks to give it a try.

Why is some caviar still so expensive?

Sturgeon farming requires major investment. Eggs can only be harvested when a female reaches maturity, which can take anywhere from seven to twenty years, depending on the breed. The gender of a sturgeon is unknown until years into its life, and only determined via ultrasounds. Farms will keep the female sturgeon for their eggs, and usually process the males for meat. Throughout this decades-long process, the farmed sturgeon require feed and careful maintenance of their habitat, all of which costs money.

What makes a good caviar?

Though the world of caviar has vastly changed, the criteria for what makes good caviar hasn’t. Draxler judges caviar by egg size, color, taste, and consistency. He recommends looking for plump, separate beads that are uniform in size, have a nice pop (no mushiness), and taste briny, not fishy.

How do I store caviar?

A sealed tin of caviar can be stored in a cold refrigerator for up to a month. Once it’s been opened, it should be consumed within a couple of days. For the best guidance on storage, consult the label on your tin.

What’s the best way to eat caviar?

For those who feel intimidated by caviar, now might be the time to give it a chance. How a person enjoys caviar is subjective, but experts recommend that you begin by eating it by itself: Slurp a dollop off the back of your hand, letting your skin warm it slightly to coax out the subtle flavors. This practice has been co-opted as a restaurant gimmick dubbed the caviar “bump.” Because metal reacts with caviar and can ruin its flavor, mother of pearl spoons are encouraged, but plastic or ceramic work, too.

Caviar is also surprisingly versatile — it can add a briny pop to anything. According to Brandon Jew, chef-owner of Mr. Jiu’s in San Francisco, it’s “another way of adding umami, almost in the form of a finishing salt.” Johnny Clark, chef-owner of Anelya, a Ukrainian restaurant in Chicago, grew up on caviar and prefers it in abundance. He likes it on toast smeared with farmers cheese for breakfast and has considered using it in sweet applications, too. “I could totally see caviar on pancakes with maple syrup,” he says. “If you’re eating sausage with it, it’s kind of in the same realm.” In other words, whether you use it sparingly or piled high, there’s no wrong way to enjoy caviar.