All About The Different Types Of Caviar
Caviar is basically fish eggs, and for the caviar connoisseur, there are many different types of caviar to enjoy. Foodies rate caviar according to its size and color and its method of processing. The lighter the color of the caviar, the more exquisite it is considered to be. In fact, some very light caviar was once kept only for royalty.
One of the most expensive types of caviar is sturgeon caviar. It has the largest roe (or eggs) and also is the lightest in color. Sturgeon caviar is also one of the more rare kinds of caviar, and the price of this type of food is always rated according to rarity of it. There are only a few other kinds of caviar that are more expensive than sturgeon. Beluga is the most expensive caviar, no matter where you are in the world. This is because fewer than 100 beluga sturgeons are caught in a year’s time. Another very expensive kind of caviar is sterlot. This type is so rare that only the extremely wealthy are likely to ever taste it in their lifetime.
Farmed caviar is not nearly as expensive as other types of caviar, and it usually is quite tasty. About a dozen countries, including the United States, employ sturgeon farms to produce caviar. American caviar and paddlefish caviar are found in the wild, although they are often compared to beluga caviar for those who can’t afford the very expensive beluga kind. American caviar is roe from sturgeon in any American lake. Paddlefish caviar is very similar to American caviar, and the two are sometimes confused in name.
No matter what kind of caviar you prefer or how you like it processed, eating this treat is certainly quite expensive, especially if you have a taste for the higher end kinds. However, you may find yourself fooled by some of the farmed caviar, which is beginning to taste more and more like some of the higher end types.
Caviar is processed in one of four different ways. The preferred method is the malossol method, which means lightly salted. This method also usually results in some of the more expensive types of caviar you can buy. Malossol caviar has less than five percent salt, usually around three and a half percent salt.
The next step up on the list of different types of caviar is salted caviar, also known as semi-preserved caviar. This type of caviar contains up to eight percent salt. Caviar that has a higher salt content usually sacrifices quite a bit of flavor for some extra shelf life.
The third processing method results in pressed caviar. This method is reserved only for damaged roe that are either too soft, broken, or over-ripe. Pressed caviar has a consistency that’s more like jam than caviar. Those who love this type of caviar enjoy the strong flavor of it.
The type of caviar that lasts longest on the shelf is known as pasteurized caviar. However, the quality of this type of caviar is compromised by the heat-treating and vacuum packing.