Prunier Caviar Paris

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

The Prunier Caviar Paris pays homage to Maison Prunier’s beginnings. In 1920, Emile Prunier developed a caviar with a subtle character, lightly salted and produced for immediate enjoyment. A truly Parisian caviar, its eggs are amber in color, and coarse-grained, with a low salt content. It’s subtle and creamy, with a unique aromatic quality. The caviar burst on the palate with delicate but incredible flavor.

PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS

Serve the Prunier Caviar Paris on its own as an aperitif, paired with a Chardonnay, or a Krug Champagne. You can also top it onto blinis, with a small dollop of crème fraiche. Make sure you use either a mother-of-pearl, a plastic, or a wooden spoon to scoop it out of the tin, as contact with metal cutlery will alter the taste and quality.

A FRENCH STORY

The Maison Prunier opened in 1872 as a restaurant in Paris, and became a place for the elite to meet. After the 1982 alliance between France and Russia, a Russian craze rolls over Paris, and caviar becomes the new sensation in town. Prunier was the first to open a degustation bar in 1915 with oysters and caviar, and, after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, obtains the import monopoly for Russian caviar in 1918.

Prunier gives up this monopoly in 1920, with the discovery that the French river of Gironde is full of sturgeons, and opens the first French production of caviar. The year 1920 is key in the history of caviar, as it is when Prunier’s biggest rival, Petrossian, was founded, importing Russian caviar. Since then, Prunier has been synonymous to the French Caviar, and a precursor of the local production of caviar.

The Acipenser baerii, or Siberian Sturgeon is originally from the major river basins at the north of Siberia. It is now mainly raised in France for its roe.

Storage Instructions

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.