FAQ
Our expert answers your questions
How should caviar be served?
##Tasting it on its own
Ideally, take the caviar out of the refrigerator a few minutes before serving. We advise against using metal accessories, as the material can dull its flavours. A spoon of mother-of-pearl or horn is far better suited to respecting the delicacy of the pearls. You can also taste it straight from the skin, on the back of your hand. Known as "a la royale", this method involves placing a small amount of caviar between thumb and forefinger. It brings the caviar to the ideal temperature and lets you savour its full aromatic richness.
Once in the mouth, the pearls melt slowly on the palate.
For a first tasting, we generally recommend 30 g per person, about four generous spoonfuls, to appreciate the texture and flavours to the full.
##Accompaniments
We recommend beginning your tasting with a spoonful of caviar on its own, the better to appreciate its texture and full aromatic richness. For a touch of indulgence, the simplest preparations are often the finest: blinis, eggs, potatoes. Favour milder-tasting foods that will accompany your caviar beautifully without masking its delicate briny notes.
How should caviar be stored?
Caviar keeps perfectly in the refrigerator, ideally between -2°C and +2°C. Once opened, it is best enjoyed within 24 hours. At Caviar House, every order is dispatched in refrigerated packaging, so that the quality, aromas and flavours of each product are preserved as fully as possible until it reaches you.
How is caviar packaged and delivered to guarantee its freshness?
Caviar is an exceptional product that calls for particular care, from preparation through to tasting. This is why each tin is hand-filled by our partner producers, then individually sealed within an airtight outer box to ensure an unbroken cold chain all the way to your door.
How do you open a tin of caviar?
A tin of caviar opens with a gentle touch. Simply use a tin opener or, failing that, the tip of a well-sharpened knife. Slip it under the rim of the lid and lift gently, without forcing. Once open, the tin can be set on a bed of crushed ice to hold the ideal temperature throughout service.
Finding the caviar that is right for you
Caviar House
The Finest Selection
Caviar House has been selecting the world's caviars since 1950. Our long-standing partnerships with exceptional farms guarantee consistent quality, from classic caviar to the most exclusive. Our range brings together five varieties, set apart by colour, pearl size, briny intensity and origin.
Prunier Caviars
The art of French caviar. The House offers two varieties, Baeri and Oscietra, from sturgeon raised for between eight and twelve years in the pure waters of the Isle, a tributary of the Dordogne. Every tin is the fruit of a singular, time-honoured craft, from the selection of the roe to its salting by hand, and on to maturation, which takes around four to six months.
How to choose your caviar
Species, origins, aromatic complexity, pairings: our guide walks you step by step through the choice of your caviar. Whether you are a seasoned connoisseur or simply curious, we set out the key criteria to know so you can find the caviar made for you.
Going further
The different caviar species
Beluga (Huso Huso). Native to the Caspian Sea, Beluga yields the largest pearls in the world, a pale pearly grey. Creamy and smooth, it delivers remarkable length on the palate and remains the caviar most sought after by connoisseurs.
Oscietra (Acipenser Gueldenstaedtii). Oscietra stands out for its aromatic complexity and its characteristic hazelnut notes. Its amber-to-golden glints and melting texture make it a caviar prized by the most demanding enthusiasts.
Baeri (Acipenser Baerii). Baeri wins you over with its balance of pronounced briny character, walnut notes and a texture that is firm then melting. An expression at once frank and delicate.
Kaluga (Huso Dauricus). A cousin of Beluga, Kaluga stands apart for its large, generous pearls with amber glints and its fine hold on the palate. Its limited production makes it a rare and sought-after alternative, with buttery, faintly marine notes.
Qiandao (Acipenser Schrenckii × Huso Dauricus). The fruit of a unique cross between two prestigious lines, Qiandao is a caviar with an assertive style. Its generous pearls and distinctive aromatic profile make it a signature all its own in the world of exceptional caviars.
Caviar, a story of patience and excellence
The story begins on the shores of the Caspian Sea, in antiquity. In that age, Persian fishermen were among the first to recognise the value of wild sturgeon roe. Caviar later reached the court of the Russian tsars, then won over the great tables of Europe. It was there that it established itself as the ultimate expression of celebratory gastronomy.
At the close of the twentieth century, responsible farming emerged to address the gradual scarcity of wild sturgeon and to carry the tradition forward. Before yielding their first roe, sturgeon grow in fish farms spread across the world.
So begins the patient work of farming. Often over more than a decade, it gives the pearls their texture, their colour and their singular aromatic complexity.
To taste a caviar is to live a moment suspended in time, from the opening of the tin to the discovery of the pearls, whose aromas are released slowly. Every step is part of a sensory ritual that endures through time.
For more than 75 years, Caviar House has worked directly with these trusted farms.
Our fine knowledge of the product, nourished by our dialogue with the Prunier Manufacture in Aquitaine and with our partners across the world, allows us to offer a range of five caviar varieties, worthy of the finest tables.
Complete your tasting
Accessories
Mother-of-pearl spoons, refrigerated presentation stands, insulated gift boxes: everything to elevate the service and preserve the freshness of the flavours.
Gift sets
Carefully composed selections, ready to give. A refined gesture for every occasion.
Salmon
Balik smoked salmon, crafted by hand in Switzerland since 1978. The ideal partner to our caviars.
Choosing your caviar at Caviar House
A caviar is read first through its species. Beluga comes from Huso huso, Oscietra from Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, Baeri from Acipenser baerii raised in France. Pearl size, colour and length on the palate all follow from that origin.
Sturgeon roe and salt are the foundation of every great caviar. Everything else comes down to the years of rearing and to the hand that prepares it. Oscietra shows golden glints where Beluga keeps a pale, pearly grey.
Comparing species is the surest way into this world. Serve any of them with a mother-of-pearl spoon, or the royal way from the hollow of the hand, and let the flavour speak. As a food, caviar asks for very little around it.