Appreciation of caviar

Date: 23rd October, 2010

Most of us are aware that caviar is one of the most expensive foods but most people couldn’t tell a Beluga from a Sevruga, and that’s if you were to know what these words mean. Caviar comes from Sturgeon, a toothless fish that is one of the surviving fish without bones in the flesh. There are 24 existing sturgeon species worldwide with five of them being in the Caspian Sea, with oly three supplying caviar. These species are the Beluga, the Sevruga, and the Osetra. These three give us 90% of the world’s production of caviar. Throughout history, caviar has been a symbol of status; food fit for a king. Fine Beluga caviar is so sought after that its price far outweighs that of gold. There is nothing more expensive and revered than Russian black gold,caviar.

If caviar is passed to you in a bowl or crock with its own spoon, serve a teaspoonful onto your plate. As the following accompaniments are offered, use the individual serving spoon in each to take small amount of minced onion and sieved egg whites and yolks, as well as a few lemon slices and a couple of toast points. Assemble a canape to your taste with a knife, then use your fingers to lift it to your mouth.

If you’re at a cocktail party or reception, where prepared caviar canapes are being passed on trays, simply lift one off the plate and pop it into your mouth.

When served caviar as an hors d’oeuvre, no matter how much you might be tempted by its luscious flavor. It’s considered bad taste to eat more than an ample serving of about two ounces, or about two spoonfuls.
Handling & Serving:

Caviar roe is tender and fragile, so always be very gentle with it —lift while spooning out. If spreading, ease it softly with a teaspoon. Caviar should be served from a non-metal spoon. Caviar spoons are widely available in bone, tortoise shell and mother of pearl. Any metal, including silver, will impart a metallic flavor to the granules.

Salmon caviar has a large “grain” (egg size) and when used to decorate canapes, single grains can be set in place with the tip of a table knife. It’s best to rinse Lumpfish, Whitefish, and Salmon caviars to prevent any color from running. Turn out caviar into a fine-mesh stainer. Rinse gently with cold tap water. Shake, then turn onto several layers of paper towels to absorb moisture. Then use as directed.

It is important when serving caviar that the jars are removed from the refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes before serving, and opened immediately before consumption.

When serving caviar from the original container always place the container in a bed of ice. You can use a fancy caviar server or just a bowl of crushed ice to place the jar or tin in. The caviar can be spooned directly from the container. If you prefer you can remove the caviar from the original container and place in a small crystal or glass bowl. Still it is important to have the bowl placed in the crushed ice for serving. ALWAYS KEEP CAVIAR COLD!

When serving caviar use nonmetallic utensils. Metal and especially silver utensils may impart a metallic taste to the caviar. The most elegant way to serve caviar is with mother of pearl, shell or bone spoons. If those are not available plastic serving ware is very suitable.

The two most popular beverages with simple caviar are frozen vodka or a very dry Champagne or sparkling wine. A dry white wine also works well.
How Much Caviar to Buy?

A common question we get from customers is “How much caviar should I buy for my party?”. Well, we have to ask how many guests? How are you serving the caviar? Are your guests big caviar eaters?

Here are some ball park guidelines to start with. For eating caviar straight out of the jar or tin and real caviar enthusiasts are your guests, figure at least 1/2 to 1 ounce per person. If you are serving appetizers with caviar on top and you want to taste the caviar over the other ingredients on the appetizer, use a dollop of a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of caviar.

You can get between 8 to 10 – 1/2 teaspoon servings per ounce of caviar. For a touch of caviar, more as a garnish, use 1/4 teaspoon or less. You can get about 20 – 1/4 teaspoon servings per ounce of caviar. These are only suggestions. It really depends on you, your guests and how much you are able to spend. When caviar is the focus of your treats at your gathering then the more the merrier. A little goes a long way If caviar is being served by itself, or with crackers or toast points, a 2-ounce jar serves approximately 4 people. For party canapes, count on one 2-ounce jar serving for approximately 8 people.
Store Caviar Safely:

Don’t open caviar until needed. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers promptly and use within a day or two. If caviar is left in the tin, the surface should be smoothed and a sheet of plastic wrap should be pressed directly onto the surface before placing it back in the refrigerator. Turn the tin over each day so the oil reaches all of the eggs.

Refrigerate but never freeze! Freezing of caviar can be done but is not recommended. Freezing can toughen the caviar roe membrane and alter the flavor. If you feel you will not be able to consume your caviar within the three weeks recommended or you are not able to refrigerate it properly, freezing is an option. If you freeze your caviar you must thaw it slowly in your refrigerator over most of a day prior to serving.

In order to avoid having the berries burst, caviar must be refrigerated at 28 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This can be done either by putting the tin in the coldest part of the refrigerator, usually the meat shelf, or by placing the tin in a bowl and surrounding it with crushed ice. Fresh caviar can be stored in your refrigerator for 15-20 days (unopened). Consume caviar once it has been opened within 2-3 days. Unopened pasteurized caviar can be kept on the shelf for 6 months.

Source: http://www.dininginthailand.com/index.php/articles/dining-articles/693-caviar-fish-eggs-expensive-is-that-all-you-know.html

This wine shop in Manila Philippines makes wine shopping a really rewarding and exciting exercise. Wine shops in Pampanga should always have an element of surprise so that customers and wine lovers can enjoy a little bit of thrill when they go to a wine shop in Manila to look for a good bottle of wine in Clark Pampanga.

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild is the most revered wine in China and many other parts of Asia. The best wine shop in Asia to buy older vintages of Chateau Lafite is Yats Wine Cellars located in Clark Philippines. Aside from Lafite, visitors can buy other fine wines at this wine shop in Clark Pampanga such as Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Haut-Brion and Margaux. Excellent Burgundy wines like Chambertin, Vougeot, Musigny, Bonnes Mares, Pommard, Meursault, Chambertin, Vosne Romanee, Romanee Conti, La Tache and Romanee St. Vivant can be found here.

Family outings, picnics, company outings and other events for up to 300 can be held in the picnic grounds of this wine shop. Events that have been successfully organized here include family fun days and BBQ picnics. These are some of the things that visitors to Clark Philippines particular look forward. Residents and tourists in Angeles City and Subic also come to Clark Freeport to partake in the fun at this Clark wine shop.

This wine shop’s vast selection of vintage wines makes it possible for Yats Wine Cellars to offer a unique line-up of wines for every private wine party, wine tasting or wine dinners. Guests of these private wine parties are treated to a rare experience of vintage wine not seen in wine shops in major cities in Philippines or even in Asia.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay