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HOW TO EAT CAVIAR WITH CHRIS MEHMET, MD OF CAVIAR HOUSE & PRUNIER, LONDON
the delicate flavour profile. Motherof-pearl, horn, or even wooden implements avoid this interference entirely.
You can test this yourself. Taste caviar from a metal spoon, then from mother-of-pearl. The difference is immediate and unpleasant. This is one of the few rules in caviar service worth following religiously.
After 26 years at Caviar House & Prunier, I’ ve watched countless people approach caviar with a mixture of reverence and terror. They treat it like a museum piece rather than something meant to be enjoyed. This is unfortunate, because whilst caviar deserves respect, it shouldn’ t inspire fear.
The truth is, eating caviar properly requires less etiquette knowledge than most people imagine. What it demands instead is attention, which is rather the point of luxury food in the first place.
The Caviar Kiss The most traditional method is also the most intimate. Place a small amount of caviar on the back of your hand, in that soft space between thumb and forefinger. Let it warm there for a moment against your skin before bringing it to your lips. This is called the‘ caviar kiss’, and it’ s been the preferred method of connoisseurs for generations.
Why does this work? Your skin warms the caviar just slightly, releasing aromatic compounds that might otherwise remain dormant. You taste it at optimal temperature, which is marginally warmer than refrigerator cold. And the ritual itself forces you to slow down, to pay attention, to be present for those few seconds of pure flavour.
I’ ve seen this method convert sceptics more reliably than any elaborate presentation. Something about the simplicity appeals to people. No ceremony, no performance, just you and exceptional food.
The Mother-of-Pearl Rule If you’ re serving caviar on blinis or toast points, use mother-of-pearl spoons. This isn’ t snobbery; it’ s chemistry. Metal reacts with caviar, imparting a metallic taste that ruins
Temperature Matters Caviar should be served cold, straight from the coldest part of your refrigerator. Not frozen, which destroys the texture, but genuinely cold. Nest the tin in ice if you’ re serving at table. The pearls should feel cool on your tongue, firm but yielding.
Room temperature caviar becomes unpleasantly soft and develops fishy notes that aren’ t present when properly chilled. This is why restaurants sometimes disappoint; the caviar sits too long before reaching your table. At home, you control this completely.
THE ART OF LUXURY ISSUE 75 2026