Things to Look for When Purchasing Caviar
On June 7, 2017 by Alex
Caviar is made from different species of sturgeons. The average person does not know what to look for in caviar and how to tell if the quality is top of the line. There are some ways to assess the quality of caviar before purchasing this expensive treat.
When looking to check the quality a person should look for producers that work directly farm to table. This will help ensure that the caviar is the highest quality possible. A person should look for caviar that comes from countries that have good business practices and have ethical rules.
There are two main productions methods for caviar. They are pasteurized and malossol. When caviar is pasteurized it undergoes a heating treatment in order to increase the shelf life. This can alter the taste. The healthy qualities associated with caviar can also be compromised. When caviar is made using the malossol method the original taste is preserved. This roe will have less than a 5% salt content and only a small amount of preserving agent such as borax. This will allow the caviar to stay fresh for a period of up to three months.
Caviar can also come in a form that is pressed. To those in the field this is known as payunsnaya or pajusnaya. The eggs are passed through a sieve while some of the eggs are passed through others are broken or damaged. These eggs are then treated, salted, and further pressed. Once this is performed they turn into a jelly like consistency. This can then be put over the whole eggs. They can also be used in a number of recipes. While some feel they do not compare to the while eggs they still have a rich and intense flavor.
There is some information found on the tin that can help a person decide what type of caviar they should select. The first three letters on the stand will tell a person what form of sturgeon that the caviar was produced from. For example BAE stands for Baerri that is Siberian in origin. The third set of letters will tell a person the country of origin. For example DE will stand for Germany and RU is for Russia. Some people prefer caviar from a certain region of the world. If a caviar states that if it was from the world’s leading producers this is too vague and does not give information about the caviar itself. Labels like this should be avoided. Many dealers of caviar are often resellers and they can relabel the caviar so that it fits this own brand. Looking at the codes will help a person determine if they are purchasing for a wholesaler or if they are purchasing from a reseller.
These are just some things to look for when purchasing caviar. The way the caviar is processed and the codes on the tin will help a person determine if they are purchasing a quality brand.
