There are several snacks that I do believe that you should always have in your fridge. Caviar is one of them. I do love many producers but I have to be honest and share that my favorite is @petrossiannyc. That said, I am constantly trying different caviar purveyors to find and discover new flavors and tastes. Below you will find a summary of flavor profiles of some of the caviars of the producers named in the title of this post. There is ALOT of caviar to taste so this will be a recurring post as I try more. Enjoy!
Caviar Giaveri
This is my first caviar from @brownetradingco and I’ll definitely be ordering more. What I love in particular about them is that they source caviar from different producers and reference them on their label. They have quite a selection of producers so even when I checked and found that one producer I wanted to taste had run out of inventory directly, I was thankfully able to find some with them. This is the Siberian caviar from @caviargiaveri and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has an almost nutty like flavor. This caviar on presentation on the palate is a short and delayed release of the flavor that leads to a quick melt and finish. The experience of this caviar is one where just as when you are savoring and sinking into its flavors, it disappears leaving you clamoring for more. I love the experience of this caviar which was a mad dash to the finish line.
Kaviari Paris - Kristal
I love Kaviari Paris. There is something entirely regal about all their caviars that I cannot get enough of. In addition, they are so personable and communicative that it is hard to not be a repeat customer. This is the best of the @kaviari_paris Caviar’s that I have had so far. It is beautiful and sensual in flavor if you can describe caviar in such a manner. It has a growing intensity from when it is placed on the tongue with a long finish. In other words, amazing. I am based in the United States so I had to order it from @plantinkaviari_us if you are in the same position. As is customary, you should at the very least try caviar with no accompaniments to get its initial flavor. This is my preference when enjoying caviar but there are in fact some that require the company to really bring out its richness. This is not one such caviar. It is perfect on its own with just a spoon… No pairing necessary.
Kaviari Paris - Oscietre
As I mentioned earlier, @petrossiannyc is my favorite caviar producer. This caviar from @kaviari_paris is special because it is reminiscent of the Tsar Imperial Ossetra from @petrossiannyc. There is something uniquely different about this one as compared to that in that the burst of flavor is delayed but pronounced when it finally comes forward. I enjoyed this both with just a spoon and eggs. Both were equally divine and dazzling for the palate.
Kaviari Paris - Baeri
This is a very powerful caviar from @kaviari_paris. It has a VERY strong initial flavor that levels out on the finish. It was just a tad too strong for me to enjoy alone so I looked to find pairings that would work. I tried the tradition accompaniments of blini and creme fraiche but I found that to be too tame to tamper the flavor. I then tried this on scallops and while it passed the test of standing up to the caviar, there was nothing elevated about the flavors that resulted from the combination. I am still in search of what will pair well with this one as I unfortunately cannot enjoy it plainly
Astrea - Kaluga Hybrid
I held out for quite some time to enjoy a Kaluga caviar. There was always something so regal to me about eating a Kaluga versus my regular ossetra. Yes I know Ossetra is premier but I just have an interesting ranking system in my head. Maybe I feel that way because I have just eaten so much Ossetra? Well, in any case, this was my first Kaluga. I was and still am floored and it was well worth the wait and I will be ordering this many times over from @astrea_caviar
Astrea - Russian oscietra hybrid
This is the Russian oscietra hybrid from @astrea_caviar . I thoroughly loved this caviar when it was paired with a butter shrimp pasta that I was having for lunch one day. On initial solo tasting though I was not thoroughly enthralled with the flavor. It was not a bad flavor but it just was not engaging and complex enough for me with regards to the types of caviar that I enjoy.
Astrea - Schienckii
This was an interesting caviar for me. The caviar was larger in size and darker in color than what I was used to. It was not pitch black caviar but more a darker green. On flavor, it was richly buttery but not overwhelmingly so. It was more a subtle buttery flavor that you know is present but is not overwhelming. This rich flavor almost had a short finish so that also most likely contributed to the understated buttery flavor
Petrossian - Royal Baika
I have only one of my favorite caviar producer – @petrossiannyc – on this post as I would like to create a post dedicated to them and all their varietals and rankings as there is quite a bit to explore with them. This one though is one of two that I always turn to. They are the Royal Baika and the Royal Ossetra. This one is the Royal Baika and it has a subtly salty flavor with sweet notes and a long finish. So you can well imagine this extended play of sweet and salty in your mouth as you enjoy this. It makes eating caviar fun if you can grasp my foodie excitement. This is another caviar that I prefer to eat alone though it is also good with blinis and creme fraiche.