Prunier Caviar Saint-James

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

The Prunier Caviar Saint-James was named for the St. James Street in London, where it was first introduced at the opening of the London Prunier Restaurant in 1932. This caviar is so impressive, that it had nobility and heads of state as its regular clients, often going back to the Prunier Restaurant just for the Saint-James. It has been produced in the same exact way, using the same exclusive techniques since 1932. It’s a truly impressive caviar, with large eggs, and full-bodied, strong taste that will linger on the palate.

PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS

Best enjoyed on its own, ensure that you are using a wooden, plastic, or mother-of-pearl spoon to scoop it out of its tin. This is because metal alters the texture, taste and quality of caviar when it makes contact with the eggs. Pair with a rosé champagne, or a Pouilly-Fume Sauvignon.

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.