Caviar and Roe

Discover one of the best selections of caviar and fish roe available anywhere. Our premium delicacy comes exclusively from sturgeon, while our fish roe like Salmon, Trout and more will add colorful flavor for all budgets.

Cost of Caviar: A Look into Pricing

Why is caviar so expensive?

There are some key factors that affect caviar pricing, but mainly it is expensive because it’s rare, non-renewable, and in high demand. The sturgeon is an ancient fish that takes a very long time to mature and produce eggs – over 20 years or more. Unlike a chicken that lays eggs many times over, a fully mature sturgeon is killed to extract the eggs, and those would be the same eggs that would produce more caviar-producing fish.

There’s also the age-old law of supply and demand: caviar is very high in demand, and there’s a very low supply of it. The cost of caviar has always been expensive, but now with such limited quantities available they’ve soared. Factor in a ripe black-market trade, a politically charged climate in the source countries, and a species on the brink of extinction, and you have all the ingredients for a prized commodity.

Understanding Grades

Consider that caviar can vary dramatically from tin to tin, even if it comes from the same species, river, and even if it’s harvested at the same time. Caviar is graded by professional “graders” following a grading system that considers the following factors.

Caviar is graded by:

• Uniformity
• Size
• Color
• Maturity
• Separation
• Fragrance
• Lucidity/gleam
• Hardness/firmness

Grades: 1 and 2

• Grade 1 is large, firm, uniform in shape, with clearly separated grains, finely flavored and delicately fragranced.
• Grade 2 has a smaller egg size, with very good color and a fine flavor.

Grades: 0, 00, and 000

Used primarily for Beluga caviar, this grading is an indication of color only, with 000 being the lightest color.

Grades: Classic, Royal and Imperial

Classic, Royal, and Imperial are used to differentiate mainly Osetra and Sevruga sturgeon caviars. It can vary from producer to producer.

• Imperial (also known as Tsar Imperial) is the highest grade, with the biggest, lightest beads.
• Royal has smaller beige to light grey eggs.
• Classic has darker grey-black breads.

Gourmet Delivery

If you’re looking to buy caviar online, you want full assurance that the product will arrive in excellent condition worthy of its price. Here at Gourmet Food Store, we aim to ensure that our caviar never loses its taste, texture, freshness or overall quality during transit. That means that when you order from us, we’ll send it to your doorstep using a strict, efficient and secure delivery method.

We’ll carefully place your product in a chilled box containing either refrigerant gel pack, dry ice chips or ice depending on the product. This insulated packaging system keeps the contents cool all the way to your doorstep, and the caviar retains the same fresh quality as when it was first created.

A bonus to this shipping method is that you’ll be able to keep any gel packs for future use, perfect for picnics, road trips, or days on the beach. Always ensure that someone is available to collect the product delivery and to place it in the refrigerator as soon as possible.

Popular Types

Although die-hard purists will always maintain that there is only one true caviar, more modern connoisseurs now concede that there are many other tasty alternatives to the traditional —and pricey— Caspian sturgeon caviars. Nothing will ever replace the smooth buttery flavor of a fine Beluga, but there are many that will come close. Read on to find out how to get the best of both worlds:

• Russian Beluga 000 Caviar Malossol: The most luxurious pearl of the Caspian Sea, it is the epitome of culinary sophistication. The Triple Zero “000” denotes the mark of excellence, the lightest color eggs available; ‘Malossol’ speaks of the characteristically minimal salting used to preserve the original flavor of this delicate caviar. Beluga has large, pearlescent eggs, of a light glistening grey, with a fine skin highly prized for its smooth, buttery texture, and a rich and subtle flavor that melts in the mouth.
• Classic Sevruga Caviar Malossol: Of all the sturgeon species, the sevruga reproduces the quickest, and therefore is much more available, which translates into lower market prices for this delicious caviar. You’ll find that these small and delicate black eggs are a pleasure to bite into, with a crunchy texture. While other caviars dissolve in your mouth, sevruga playfully crackles and pops with a more intense flavor.
• Golden Osetra Caviar Malossol: It’s not Beluga, but this is truly the next best thing. Of the higher-end types, golden osetra is a strong contender for the title of ‘best caviar in the world’. This rare type is worth its golden grains in gold, at prices that rival the best Beluga caviars. While Beluga is smooth, and Sevruga is intense, Golden Osetra’s flavor has hints of nuts and fruits.
• Paddlefish Caviar: This is a rare roe of a quality that enables you to savor it much the same way you enjoy sturgeon caviar, but at a price that blows most other fish out of the water. It looks very much like Caspian Sevruga , with eggs that are small and blackish gray, but at a third of the cost.
• Hackleback: Hackleback is a surgeon found in Mississippi River, similar to the Sevruga both in the size— very small, firm berries— and texture of its eggs, although the roe is a darker black than the typically gray Caspian Sea caviars. Hackleback sturgeon has the smooth delicate flavor of sturgeon caviar, but milder and with a little extra nutty punch.
• Salmon Roe: This roe is worth getting for looks alone. Eggs of a beautiful peach color glisten and sparkle as you place them over some fresh blini or sprinkle them over dishes as a garnish. Since it is harvested right here in North America, the prices of salmon caviar are dramatically lower than those of sturgeon. The flavor is very fresh and succulent, and the ripe eggs are prepared with a lot more salt (you won’t find any Malossol salmon roe). At prices that almost seem a mistake, this is the perfect caviar to cook and experiment with.

The World's Most Expensive Caviar: Strottarga Bianco

Beluga, Iranian Almas, they’re the top-of-the-line true caviars. However, there’s a new contender for the title of world’s most expensive caviar, the gold laced “Strottarga Bianco”, the next level of luxe. Like Almas, Strottarga is made from the white caviar of the exotic Albino sturgeon, but with a luxurious twist. The roe is dehydrated, grated finely and then finally mixed with a dusting of 22-karat edible gold leaf. Strottarga is arguably today the most expensive food in the world.