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How is Caviar Rated?
Not unlike a diamond, not all caviars are the same in terms of quality and price. There is a logical standard that is followed (known as grades), and caviars—both sturgeon-based as well as caviar substitutes—undergo a considerable amount of scrutiny to determine just how good it is. A number of aspects will determine where a particular caviar falls on the rating scale, corresponding to how delicious—and expensive—it will be.
Factors that determine a caviar’s rating
The following list represents the factors that determine the rating of a particular caviar.
- Colour: The colour of the egg is a true determinant to the overall quality of a particular caviar. The colour of the eggs are generally dependent upon the age (maturity) of the fish, and as a result the colour of the eggs will vary with age as well. For example, in Osetra caviars, as the sturgeon ages (matures) the colour of the eggs will lessen from gray and turn golden brown in colour. (also called Imperial or Royal caviar). Color is rated as follows: 000 for light caviar (for example grey), 00 for medium, 0 for dark (for example black).
- Clarity: Like an exceptional diamond, the egg’s shiny outer coating determines the freshness of the caviar. Eggs should be shiny and somewhat transparent, as dull, oily, or murky looking eggs tend to be a sign of improper storage or preservation.
- Consistency: Like a good strand of pearls, the overall consistency of the caviar’s appearance should be uniform throughout. In other words the characteristics of each egg should be similar (almost identical) in factors such as size, colour, etc. to all other eggs in the caviar group.
- Fragrance: The freshest caviar should have a “fresh ocean scent” which echoes the overall freshness of the eggs themselves. Naturally, the fragrance also depends on how fresh the eggs were at time of processing, and the overall scent (fresh or fishy) could be an indication of salting, brining, or a storage issue as well.
- Grade: There are four basic grades of caviar: Beluga, Osetra, Sevruga, and Pressed and the grade will ultimately determine how the eggs are rated.
- Maturity: Similar to fine wine or cheese, a caviar’s taste considerably improves when the eggs are processed at a certain time in the fish’s life. For example, the best tasting (highest quality) Beluga caviars are those that come from roe harvested when the fish are 20 years of age.
- Eggshell Resiliency: There is a fine line when measuring resiliency. For example the egg must be strong enough to withstand the caviar-making process, and still be soft enough to melt on the palate upon eating.
- Egg-grain Separation: The initial sieving/filtration process is very delicate, as it removes the attaching membranes that join the eggs together. The difficulty or ease of separation determines the resiliency of the eggs during processing. Eggs that do not make it through this early stage will undoubtedly not be able to withstand further processing.
- Egg Size: The size of eggs are determined based on the type of fish from which the eggs were extracted. For example, Beluga caviar (the largest eggs 4-5mm) are the size of an average pea. In this case, only eggs that are 4-5mm (as determined by the accepted size range for that particular fish) from the Beluga Sturgeon will be deemed mature enough for harvesting to make caviar.