SALMON CAVIAR or ROE
North American Salmon caviar usually comes from the Chum and Silver Salmon salmon of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, or the Chinook (King) salmon of the Great Lakes. It is bright, pearlescent, natural orange to red-orange in color; the eggs are popularly referred to as “pearls.” It is larger, juicier, and much saltier than other caviars. The eggs are a very popular garnish and are tasty as a dish in of themselves (it is a popular sushi bar item, known is ikura in Japanese). See also keta caviar. Find salmon caviar recipes.

SEA URCHIN ROE
Sea urchin “roe” is not actually roe, which are eggs, but the reproductive gonads of the sea urchin, a more primitive species than fish that does not reproduce via egg fertilization. But for the sake of uniformity, we’ll call them roe here. Five orange-tan colored roe, often a tablespoon’s worth or more, are found within one sea urchin. Unlike conventional roe, which have a shell that pops when bitten, sea urchin roe have no shell and the consistency is of a firm custard. Unlike the briny flavor of conventional roe, sea urchin often have an earthy flavor. America’s sea urchin supply can come from California, Florida or Maine. The subspecies and terroir of the water produce individual differences in flavor, texture and size.
 

SEAWEED CAVIAR
Seaweed caviar was created for vegans and those who can’t have cholesterol or other fats (the product is fat-free, and in fact, seaweed purportedly helps to reduce cholesterol. Seaweed caviar is created from black seaweed, cod liver oil and sea salt. While it is crafted to look, taste, smell and “pop” like fish eggs, to resemble fish caviar, in our experience it doesn’t paste the taste test (don’t expect it to taste like caviar). It can can be used exactly as real caviar, in both hot and cold dishes—hors d’oeuvre, pasta, to garnish fish, soup and other dishes.

 
Sevruga has the strongest flavor among sturgeon caviars, the crunchiest texture, and traditionally is the least expensive of the three Russian/Iranian caviars. Sevruga has caught up to Osetra in price because of a pull-up effect: the shortage of Beluga created a run on Osetra, making Sevruga more in demand.

SHAD ROE
Shad roe are the egg sacs of the American shad fish, a member of the herring family. Each female produces a pair of large, lobe-shaped egg sacs. Although the shad fish itself is quite bony and not sought after, its roe is considered a delicacy, rich in flavor and similar, some say, to sweetbreads. The season is brief: anywhere from February to May, depending on location (and water temperature) along the coast). Shad is hard to find on the East Coast, but it remains plentiful on the West Coast through June.

SHOVELNOSE STURGEON
An American sturgeon whose roe is marketed as hackleback caviar. The shovelnose is common in the large rivers of Arkansas. This unusual fish has a broad, flat head with four barbels on the underside of the long, space-shaped snout. The body is brown to gray in color and is covered with rows of bony plates. See hackleback caviar.

SIBERIAN OSETRA STURGEON
This Osetra sturgeon lives in the cold waters of Siberia, producing a crisp caviar that is only slightly smaller than its Caspian cousin. The roe is brown to jet black in color with a small to medium sized Osetra bead. The flavor is creamy and slightly briny. Due to pollution and other factors, this same sturgeon is farmed in the immaculate waters of Uruguay and also sold under the name Siberian Osetra.

 

SMELT ROE
See masago.

SMOKED CAVIAR
Some caviar producers smoke whitefish, gravlax, and other roes for added nuance. They can be further seasoned with dill, lemon, and pepper. Collins Caviar of Chicago is one producer of such specialty caviars. On a more affordable level, one of the most popular foods in Sweden is Kalles Caviar, a mild smoked caviar paste in tube that can be squeezed onto bread and crackers for snacks and hors d’oeuvre.

SPHERIFICATION
Spherification is a cooking technique invented by the molecular gastronomy pioneer Ferran Adrià, to create delicious and toothsome “caviar” from fruits and vegetables. It’s the process of taking reshaping a flavorful liquid into into a sphere with a skin on the outside and liquid inside. First, sodium alginate is added to remove air bubbles. Then, the liquid is added to water which has been mixed with calcium chloride. The chemicals react and produce spheres. The process can be used to make sweet or savory “caviars” as ingredients or dish garnishes. If you want to try it at home, here’s how.

STERLETA STURGEON
Now largely extinct in the Caspian (but farm-raised in the U.S.), the Sterlet sturgeon (Acipenser ruthenus) supplied what was called Imperial Caviar to Iran’s royal family. Writings of year past mention banquets in which the caviar was served—including a caviar soup (which, depending on the recipe, only a royal family could afford). With the sterlet no longer commercially fished due to dwindled stock the, Golden Osetra is now referred to as Imperial Caviar. The Sterlet is similar to, but smaller than, the Sevruga—the large ones are four feet long and weigh 55 pounds. The Sterlet is very rarely found in the wild these days; a small stock is kept by farms for cross-breeding (for example, see Bester and Schipp).

Although it is a saltwater fish, the sturgeon spawns each fall and spring in freshwater rivers, and it is there that it is caught for harvesting. The roe is highly prized; after it is salted it is known as caviar. The meat is delicate yet firm and contains virtually no bones. The fillets are rather large, with a taste prized by gourmets. The meat can be prepared in many different ways: It is served both fresh and smoked.

STURGEON CAVIAR
The roe of the sturgeon. The caviar is classified according to the sturgeon species and the roe’s size and color. While a few years ago these caviars would have included Beluga, Osetra, Sevruga and pressed caviar, today the American caviar market has grown to include several fine farmed sturgeon caviars, and there is a ban on the export of Caspian caviars. See also White Sturgeon.

 

SUSTAINABLE CAVIAR
Caviar that is farmed or fished in a responsible manner that does not deplete the resource.