Luxist Guide To Beluga Caviar Alternatives

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Apr 12th 2006 at 10:08AM

We've done a lot of coverage of the ban on caviar that comes from areas where the sturgeon is endangered. While caviar from Russia, Iran and other protected areas is still available, caviar lovers are beginning to cast their nets wider. Here we take a look at some of the more intriguing options from sturgeon, to paddlefish and even seaweed-based caviar substitutes.

Sterling Caviar: One of the best options coming out of California. At Sterling Caviar they raise the fish themselves, waiting patiently eight to ten years for the harvest. Their large farm has an inventory of thousands of sturgeon which are fed a high-protein, balanced diet and monitored for their health. Sterling comes in three versions, classic, royal and imperial, which is the best of the batch and costs $60 per ounce.

Rio Frio Caviar: Rio Frio (cold river) caviar is an import option cultivated from organically fed, farm-raised sturgeon in the Grenada region of Spain.The sturgeon are cataloged as beluga by CITES, the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species so it's not so much a beluga alternative as it is a chance to buy beluga guilt-free. Such luxury does not come without cost, it sells for around $250 per ounce in gourmet grocery stores.

Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Company: Another Northern California caviar producer, Tsar Nicoulai offers a major bonus, a caviar cafe in San Francisco where you can taste the merchandise. Caviar is big business in the U.S., we spent $148 million on imported caviar last year and only about $19 million on the domestic white sturgeon kind. Tsar Nicoulai deals not just in sturgeon but in whitefish roe infused with flavors ranging from ginger to saffron. Their finest osetra sells for $69 per ounce.

Paddlefish or Spoonfish Caviar: One of the tastiest caviar options in the U.S. comes from a freshwater cousin to the sturgeon. The paddlefish, which is also known as the spoonfish is another ugly fish that produces delicious caviar. The caviar has a mild and rich taste and the grayish look of sevruga. A two ounce tin from Shuckman's Gourmet Smoked Fish and Caviar in Kentucky sells for $35.

Sunburst Caviar: Freshwater caviar has a taste all its own. Trout caviar has a bright orange color and a light taste. Sunburst Caviar comes from North Carolina and the company prides itself on its environmentally-safe practices. A two-ounce jar sells for $28.

Emperor's Roe Salmon Roe: Red salmon roe gets a bad rap but roe from wild Alaskan chum salmon roe has a juicy taste. Although salmon roe can be found in most grocery stores for not a lot of money it often makes sense to go to a caviar store and sample the varieties of roe available. An inexpensive thrill, Alaskan chum salmon roe sells for $25 for 4 oz.

Mountain Lake Fisheries: Golden whitefish caviar from the cool waters of Montana. It's no beluga substitute as it doesn't resemble the precious stuff in looks or in mouthfeel but it has an appeal all its own. It's not as heavily salty and it has a distinctive tempting crunch. If the fishiness of caviar is your least favorite caviar quality then you might enjoy this alternative which sells for $20 for a four-ounce jar.

Collins Caviar: Now for something completely different, dessert caviar. You couldn't do this with beluga. Collins Caviar takes whitefish caviar, rinses the salt off and then sweetens it with passion fruit and orange and infuses it with passion fruit-infused Armagnac liqueur. 3.5 ounces sells for $34.95.

Sea Gem Kelp Caviar: Another seaweed alternative, Sea Gem is made from kelp. It comes in beluga, salmon and wasabi flavors and it is pasteurized so it has a longer shelf life and doesn't need refrigeration. This caviar also doesn't stain surrounding foods. Sea Gem is a new company from Canada and the product is currently making the rounds at food shows.

Cavi-Art: Another caviar alternative from seaweed. It doesn't sound too appetizing and we definitely wouldn't recommend this one to stand on its own but if you are looking for something to fold inside a caviar omelet or as a garnish it could work and at less than six dollars for a small jar it's the most inexpensive option.

Tags: beluga, caviar, caviar alternatives, collins caviar, dining, food, gourmet, osetra, salmon caviar, sterling caviar, trout caviar

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

kmhtkmhtkmht Apr 12th 2006 12:07PM

Informative. Shipping is a killer though.

R.J. Hall Apr 12th 2006 12:41PM

You did not mention Calvisius Caviar from Agroittica Lombarda in Italy. This caviar is also from a white sturgeon ( Acipenser Transmontanous ). The brood stock were actually acquired from California. The difference in taste firmness and quality is by far the closest to beluga caviar available today. Many companies are also calling caviar from the white sturgeon "osetra". I think that a white sturgeon is much closer to a beluga in size. Currently, Browne Trading Company is the only company in the United States that this caviar can be aquired from. It simply must be compared to what is available from the California farms to be appreciated.
Browne Trading is also selling farm raised Osetra caviar. This is real osetra ( acipenser gueldenstaedti). This is the same species that is harvested in the wild from the Caspian Sea. It is farmed in Fulda, Germany and is currently the only farmed osetra available in the world.
Just thought your readers would be interested.