Luxury Living Magazine - Issue 2 Luxury Living Magazine - Issue 1 | Page 121

THE BLACK GOLD OF THE CULINARY WORLD
LUXURY LIVING DINING u

THE BLACK GOLD OF THE CULINARY WORLD

IF you ask anyone to name a gourmet food the first words from their lips would be caviar. Known as one of the mos expensive foods in the world caviar is lightly salted roe or fish eggs. There are four main types, the Beluga, Ossetra, Sterlet & Sevruga however for the connoisseur amongst us there is also a fifth the luxurious Almas.
ALMAS CAVIAR is, undeniably, the most luxurious and exclusive food known to mankind- This unique kind of caviar is priced as high as $ 12,000 / lb. and is considered the jewel of the crown in the caviar world. This extremely rare caviar is originated from specimens more than 100 years old. As the sturgeon gets older, their eggs take on a more elegant, smooth, aromatic and spongier texture. Almas, which in Russian means“ diamond”, is stunning white in colour making the dish look like fancy, beautiful gems. This fish is only found in limited areas of the Caspian Sea.
Beluga has traditionally been thought of in certain circles as the most expensive caviar simply because Almas is so difficult to find and because the beluga sturgeon only produces eggs every three or four years, and only after the fish has reached 15 years of age. These delicate fish eggs are defined by their black-grey colour and the buttery, rich flavour. There are less than a hundred Beluga sturgeon fish caught each year
OSETRA CAVIAR is known for its dominant flavour and the size of the fish it belong to – The Osetra Sturgeon fish can get as big as 400 Lbs. each! Medium in size and ranging between grey and brown in colour, the Osetra or Ossetra has a nutty and somewhat fruity flavour than Beluga’ s unique taste.
STERLET CAVIARS are small and have a golden hue. This variety is also very rare and was once exclusively served for Iranian Shahs, Austrian Emperors and Russian Tsars. As a fish Sterlets in Russia, are held in high esteem on account of its excellent flesh.
Last but not least is the SEVRUGA CAVIAR it is regarded as the lowest quality in the real caviar hierarchy due its small size. The roe of the Sevruga is dark black to very light grey colour. It is more abundant and the least expensive. It also has somewhat the same taste as Beluga a bit buttery but saltier and with a more distinct intense flavour.
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