A couple weeks ago I got a nice surprise in the mail when I received a check from my real estate lawyer. The price they quoted me to do the farmland transaction last year was too much and there was apparently a balance left in my account which they’ve returned to me. I thought the invoice they billed me for earlier included the final fees, but I suppose that was just an estimate? Anyway, I’ve heard lawyers are greedy, but these guys seem to be pretty honest 😀 The amount isn’t a whole lot, but it’s enough to treat myself to something nice. I love seafood 🙂 and living in Vancouver, I’ve had my fair share of it 😀 But one item I haven’t had yet was sturgeon roe.
A sturgeon is a type of fish and roe is a fancy name for fish eggs. There are 26 species of sturgeons in the world, but only 3 live in the Caspian sea, and it’s the roes from these particular sturgeons that have been the historical sources for fine Caspian caviar. And that is what I decided to spend my newly discovered money on. Sturgeon roe has been considered a source of great nutrients and has been known to maintain a woman’s beauty and provide stamina to men (if you know what I mean ;).) In ancient Rome it was regarded as such a delicacy that it was presented among garlands of flowers to only wealthy and powerful patricians (ie: aristocrats and noblemen.) There are a number of places to find this highly prized roe, but in Vancouver if you want the freshest and best quality foods, there’s only one place to go :0)
Found a seafood store that sells sturgeon roe in the public market.
The largest of the 3 sturgeons swimming in the Caspian sea is the beluga, which can live for over 100 years and grow to become 2,000 pounds, or over 900 kg. That’s a pretty big fish eh (o_O) Its eggs are so special beluga caviar is sold for $8,000 to $12,000 per kilogram today. I could have bought this at the seafood store last week, but I decided it was too expensive, and opted for the much more affordable Asetra roe instead which is roughly only $4,000 per kilogram. In the end I only bought 30 grams of the stuff. The clerk was really friendly and even packaged the goods with ice cubes to keep it cool. I think by weight, this Asetra roe is probably the most expensive food I’ve ever bought. I think it’s worth it though, and the price of the caviar turned out to be the same as the rebate cheque I received so maybe it was meant to be 😉
There are many different ways you can prepare caviar. If you want to keep it simple, all you need are some blinis or some other kind of good quality bread (cut into slices) and some Crème Fraîche which you can find beside the sour cream at your local specialty food store, or higher end grocery store. Give the bread a toast in the oven, plop on some crème fraîche and caviar, and then you are ready to eat like royalty \(^_^)/ 30 grams of roe makes about 10 to 12 of these canapés if you use the amounts I did (very bottom picture)
It tasted pretty good. Like rich fish eggs with a hint of sea salt. Not as crunchy as salmon roe, but more creamy, salty, and nutty. It was definitely a unique taste and I enjoyed it, but it was not a particularly memorable flavor at least for me. I’m not a big foodie, but I do think it’s okay to splurge on something gourmet once in awhile 😀
Is there anything you do not fully research before you execute? And this statement coming from an Engineer… (*U*) Your blog is always so diverse and entertaining. Thanks!
I’ve been burnt a lot of times in the past when I didn’t do my due diligence. So luckily I’ve learned that research is free (for the most part) but mistakes can be quite costly :0) It’s like that saying about planning to fail and failing to plan or something like that, lol.
I love caviar.
For more foodie things, if you haven’t had foie gras yet, I suggest you try it. On top of some freshly baked bread, and a bit of fleur de sel on top (for the crunch), it is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.
You sound like a true foodie. Even your name is evident of that :0) Dining out with you must be a real treat 😀
Great story, that’s why Imkeep coming back
This is probably the most adventurous thing I’m going to do all year 🙂
I’d prefer a nice juicy steak over old salty fish eggs anytime!!!
I can see why you would prefer the steak. I saw a caviar eating contest on YouTube. It was held in Russia where each contestant had to eat half a kilogram of caviar. That’s $70,000 of caviar downed in seconds by each person. Talk about expensive meals. I just thought that was too much. It would be so salty (>_<) I would probably feel sick if I had to do that. I guess you CAN have too much of a good thing haha. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6BvwORgCyo
I agree with mochimac, try foie gras the next time! I had caviar in Russia and don’t remember it much more different than other fish eggs, not justifying the price anyway. But it was good. I’d have it raw to savor it to the fullest. Glad you enjoyed it!
Will try to order foie gras next time I’m in a fancy restaurant, or when I visit France :0)
Recommend you research how foie gras is produced before indulging. The flavour is certainly not worth the hype, and the ethics of its production are…questionable.
Money well spent? 🙂
Yes, more for the experience and learning about what it tastes like than the actual value I would give the food itself. Would probably not buy it again, unless it’s for some special occasion. It actually made me realize how much I like salmon roe now.
That looks so good.
It tastes even better (^_-)
I don’t think I’ve ever had caviar so perhaps I should try it! One for the bucket list I think!
I first heard about them when I watched “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” back in 2008. Brad Pitt was eating caviar with vodka in a scene and I thought, what the heck is caviar? After looking it up on the internet I knew I had to try some. But back then I didn’t know where or even how I could get my hands on some because I was saving all my money for a big investment. 5 years later I finally got a taste of this elusive delicacy :0) My next culinary mission to try some white truffles (*^.^*)
We have some sturgeons in the St-Lawrence River downhere. Congrats on your little return cheque!
They were selling roe from sturgeons in eastern Canada as well :0) Yeah it’s always nice to get unexpected money.
HA I am so amused that you used a plastic spoon when putting together caviar!
I didn’t have any spoons made from ivory or mother of pearl so the next best thing was a plastic one lol. They say you’re not suppose to use any metallic spoons when serving because the metal would react with and change the flavor of the caviar. Some high end stores that sell caviar also carry mother of pearl spoons but they cost like $25 (-_-)
Always nice to get a check in the mail. Never tried fish eggs – more of a steak guy.
I think you and the Loonie Bin who commented earlier would get along real well :0)
I think, its very delicious. I had it last week in a restaurant and it was amazingly cooked. Tested very good as well.
I bet this kind of garnish would command quite a premium at any restaurant 🙂
My first caviar experience would probably be at a restaurant. I am too afraid to prepare the caviar wrong (as simple as the procedure may seem) and waste $124!
Gordon Ramsay likes to eat Caviar straight out of the tin :0) If I ever run into more of it, I’ll invite you to come over and try some 😀