Royal white sturgeon caviar has a bold nut-buttery taste and beautiful coloration that ranges from amber to dark gold—much lighter and bolder than the classic white sturgeon caviar. The medium-sized pearls are compact and firm, consistently fresh with a clean, delicately creamy finish and hints of fruit.
As much as possible, don’t use metal bowls or utensils with your caviar to avoid imparting a metallic taste to it. Choose utensils of glass, bone, wood, or plastic—or the traditional mother-of-pearl or gold. Simplicity is best when it comes to serving caviar. Serve them with toast points or unsalted crackers—or scoop them straight out of the tin. Often, caviar is accompanied by lemon wedges, sour cream, crème fraîche, or crumbled hard-boiled egg. You can have them over your blinis. Have a shot or five of vodka or a few glasses of dry Champagne on the side.
Variants of white sturgeon caviar are regularly farmed in the Pacific waters from Oregon to California, a chef’s favorite for their roe. These sturgeon typically live in slow-moving rivers but can today be found in sustainable aqua farms. This caviar is not only sought for its taste, but for its nutritional density, full of protein and the good kind of fatty acids that promote heart and nerve health. It also contains vitamins and trace elements of minerals that are beneficial to children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
Keep your unopened tin of caviar refrigerated at a chilly -1 to 4°C for up to 4 weeks. Take it out of the fridge 10 to 15 minutes before serving. If you’re setting it out for a long cocktail party or dinner service, leave it in the original tin, nestled in a bowl of crushed ice to keep it cool. An open tin of caviar must be consumed within 2 to 3 days.