River Beluga Caviar, Recapturing a Classic

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed)
Mar 26th 2010 at 3:02PM

Ever since 2005 when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service enacted its ban on the importation of Beluga caviar originating in the Caspian Sea and Black Sea basin, entrepreneurs have been struggling to find a farmed alternative capable of recapturing the most exclusive of caviars' classic attributes. After several years of development, the Caviar Merchant Company recently announced the first offering of its River Beluga Caviar, a delectable substitute that captures the very essence of the wild original and can fairly claim to be the finest alternative with impressively consistent quality. Derived from the Huso Daricus Sturgeon whose natural habitat is the Amur River bordering Russia and China, production of River Beluga Caviar takes place twice a year, for which Iranian (i.e. Caspian, where the original is from) processing teams or "saltmasters" are are flown in to oversee and conduct production. Available from $200 an ounce, the finished product is rich, buttery, smooth and decadently delicious. We recommend ultra-premium vodka or fine French champagne as an accompaniment.

Tags: Beluga caviar, Caspian Sea, caviar, Caviar Merchant Company, China, Russia, sturgeon