A guide to eating caviar with Petrossian

If ever there was the perfect excuse to dip into a tin of the finest caviar, surely National Caviar Day is it? The precious sturgeon roe is celebrated on July 18th every year, and Petrossian are on hand to help you celebrate the occasion by providing the finest, highest quality caviar to enjoy with family and friends.

The Petrossian Family has been sourcing and maturing the world's finest caviar since they first brought this incredible delicacy to Paris in 1920. Over the last century, Petrossian has mastered the art of caviar, and learned how to pair the perfect caviar with the most discerning clientele. Their passion and commitment to excellence has made the Petrossian name synonymous with timeless elegance and sophistication.

The temperature

Your caviar tin should be stored between 0°C and 4°C, never frozen. When you’re ready, tins up to 125g can be taken out of the fridge right before serving. Tins of 250g and over, should be opened 5-10 minutes before consumption. The ideal temperature for serving is around 8- 9°C. Once opened, place the lid back on and store in the fridge, eating within 24 hours to avoid further maturation and oxidation.

The spoon

Caviar is best served with a mother of pearl spoon, a material that’s perfectly adapted to the purpose as it helps prevent oxidation. The pearl doesn’t hold flavour or transfer it, so your caviar will have exactly as much flavour as intended. Avoid silver, which reacts with the caviar, but gold is fine. Other options include bamboo, wood and animal horn.

The perfect culinary accompaniment

Many caviar enthusiasts prefer the purity of a caviar tasted by no other means, whilst others choose to pair with complementary flavours. At Petrossian, we have no rules, and believe that caviar above all has to be enjoyed the way you like it, and that’s up to each individual to create their own caviar moment.

Simple accompaniments such as lightly buttered toast or blinis with a bit of creme fraiche showcase caviar perfectly, or you can get more creative and pair with veal tartare or a soft-boiled egg.

And to drink...

Caviar and vodka is the epitome of Russian tradition, and always a safe bet. The flavours of the caviar will be heightened when paired with a chilled, unflavoured vodka, or perhaps our special Caviar Vodka. Naturally, caviar from a French House like Petrossian can be paired with the best wines. You can rely on the mineral flavours of a white Burgundy or the dry notes of a vintage Champagne to serve with caviar.

Now, which caviar?

Choosing your caviar is not as simple as it seems, with each species of sturgeon producing a different type of caviar, and even each individual fish is varied. Then the selection and aging process develops it further, making each tin of caviar unique. Different caviars can be recognised by the size, colour, firmness and flavour of the eggs.

Beluga has the biggest eggs with a pearly grey colour, creamy, smooth texture and a characteristic buttery flavour. Slightly smaller in size, the eggs of Daurenki caviar are amber green, with a firmer texture and a nutty, roasted range of flavours. Ossetra has medium-sized eggs with a firm texture and the largest range of colours, from grey-brown to bronze, and flavours including brininess and nuts. Baika has the smallest eggs, after Sevruga, with a delicate texture and a dark brown colour, with a dominant fruity and mineral flavour. Sevruga Steluga is very iodized and has a melt in the mouth texture.

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