Does Beluga Caviar sound familiar to you? You surely do. This Type of caviar is famous worldwide for being one the most exquisite and luxurious products. Discover more of its production, taste and price reading this blog post.
One of the greatest gifts you can give your palate is, without a doubt, Caviar. It has always been associated with luxury and good food, and it’s also the gourmet product par excellence, especially accompanied by a fine drink. There are many Types of caviar but this time we’re gonna focus on Beluga Caviar. But first, let’s make sure we know some of the basics.
Caviar is a gastronomic product made from sturgeon roe, a fish that lives in areas such as the great lagoons of eastern Europe and central Asia. The high price of this delicacy is a reflection of the scarcity and extreme difficulty of fishing for sturgeon and the subsequent processing of caviar. When it comes to Beluga Caviar, this Type of caviar gets its name from the variety of sturgeon from which it is extracted. The Beluga sturgeon is a peculiar fish, even within the sturgeon species. Its scientific name is Huso huso. It’s native from the Caspian Sea, although it can also be seen in the Black Sea, in the Adriatic and rarely in the Mediterranean.
The weight of the roe is 15% of the weight of the fish. The oldest ones are the ones that give the best product, due to their weight and also their maturity. Its flavor has no comparison and its price is very high, reaching 10,000 euros per kilo. There are several categories of Beluga Caviar that are determined by the size of the roe. The sensation of each one of these spheres on the palate is an unique, almost mystical experience, according to its consumers.
Why is it Beluga Caviar so luxurious? There are several reasons that make this caviar the most sought after. One of them is that the Beluga sturgeon is in serious danger of extinction. Uncontrolled exploitation has put these types of fish at serious risk. Today, regulated Caviar is obtained through controlled wild farming or farming. In order to obtain the best quality Caviar it is necessary to kill the fish. Sturgeons develop slowly and take a long time to reproduce, this makes restocking slow as well. Furthermore, the population of the Beluga sturgeon is decreasing. This is due to poaching in the Caspian Sea, something that is actively fought against. This lack has a significant influence on this Type of caviar being so highly valued.
Another remark that makes Beluga Caviar so exquisite is the quality of the roe. The texture is delicate, smooth and buttery. The taste is described as long and complex. The most knowledgeable consumers when speaking of the taste describe it as “magical” when it breaks inside the mouth. The average size of each grain is 2.5 to 3.5 centimeters in diameter, the largest of all.
All these factors make Beluga Caviar a real pleasure and surely, one of the Best Caviar. And just like Caviar itself, Beluga Caviar has its own classification. There are different categories of Beluga Caviar. These are determined by the size of the roe, the color and the processing, considering better if the grain is larger, the color is lighter and the elaboration is less aggressive for the flavor.
The size of the roe is very important when classifying the product as high quality. The fact that the eggs are small indicates that they have been extracted from immature specimens, which negatively affects the flavor. Older sturgeons give bigger and better tasting roe.
If you’re on your way to try Beluga Caviar, you should pay attention to color. There’s a measurement system for color in Beluga Caviar. Color is indicated by zeros. A zero means that the color is black. Two zeros indicate that it has a gray hue and three zeros indicate that the roe is the lightest of all. So, if it is referred to as Beluga Caviar 000, it is a premium product. You’d also want to know about processing ‘cause is very important. Some Caviar are slightly pasteurized. This increases the shelf life but slightly alters the flavor, causing it to devalue. The same happens with salt. This preservative is essential, but if it is used too much the quality will be lower.
Beluga Caviar labeled as “Imperial” or “Royal” meet all the quality conditions mentioned, although they are reserved only for the ones with a higher budget. The price of Beluga Caviar in this category can exceed 3,000 euros per kilo. But there’s still a superior variety. It is the so-called “Almas” -diamond in Russian-, which receives its name from the whitish color of the roe. These come from albino Beluga sturgeons. The lack of melanin affects the roe that lose their grayish color. This fish is destined to disappear since it is not a species, but a natural genetic mutation.
Now you know almost everything about Beluga Caviar, the main question is: where do we get it? Getting Beluga Caviar is relatively easy. If you live in a big city, surely you know a gourmet store. Almost all of them sell this Type of caviar. Another possibility is to obtain it through the Internet and this is your lucky day ‘cause you’ll find the Best Caviar in our store Caviar Lover. Visit our website and find the greatest selection of imported and domestic caviar just a click away from your home.
Which one do we recommend? Try our Beluga Hybrid and we’re sure it will be the perfect choice if you’re ready to try Beluga Caviar. Still want to know more about Caviar? Find more products by clicking here.
