Osetra caviar ◆

Caviar osciètre

What it is

Osetra is simply the Russian word for sturgeon, and the grain runs from near-black to the pale amber that trade calls imperial — a colour that comes with the age of the fish rather than with quality, though it is priced as though it were the same thing. It remains the reference caviar of French service: firm shell, walnut finish, a grain that survives a warm spoon.

In the kitchen

Let the tin come to about 12 °C before opening — half an hour out of the fridge — and taste it flat on the back of the hand. Served ice-cold it reads salty and surrenders the walnut entirely.

Goes with

Churned butter Egg Potato Crème fraîche Chives Vin jaune

Same species

Caviar Baerii caviar White sturgeon caviar Adriatic sturgeon caviar Pressed caviar Schrenckii caviar

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