Oscietra Caviar

Oscietra sturgeon roe, lightly cured and packed in a sealed tin. It is a chilled product rather than a cooked one — the salt cures the roe and the cold does everything else, which is why it has to stay cold from the moment it leaves us until the tin is opened.

Oscietra is the style people reach for when they want complexity rather than simple saltiness. The grain is round, glossy and unbroken, with an amber cast to the dark roe. It gives a distinct pop on the first bite, turns creamy through the middle with a toasted hazelnut character, and finishes long and faintly sweet, with a clean sea-and-mineral note at the front of it.

Why Choose It?

• Round, unbroken grain: the eggs hold their shape on the spoon and break cleanly.
• Amber highlights: the dark roe carries a warm amber sheen under the light.
• Nutty, creamy middle: a toasted hazelnut and butter character rather than plain salt.
• Long finish: the flavour stays after the grain has gone, ending faintly sweet.
• Nothing to prepare: it goes from the fridge to the table exactly as it is.

How To Serve It:

• Straight from the tin: set it on ice and eat it in small spoonfuls, so you get the full progression.
• Blini and sour cream: warm blini, a thin smear of sour cream, caviar on top, nothing else.
• On toast: thin plain toast with unsalted butter.
• With eggs: spooned over soft scrambled eggs off the heat, at the last moment.
• On sashimi: a small amount on top, seasoning the fish rather than sitting beside it.

The One Rule:
Never use a metal spoon. Steel reacts with the roe and puts a metallic edge on the flavour — use mother-of-pearl, bone, horn or plastic. And open the tin only when you are ready to eat: once open, keep it covered, back on ice, and finish it within a day or two.

Storage:
Keep refrigerated at 0-4°C, in the coldest part of the fridge. Do not freeze — freezing ruptures the grain and it weeps on thawing. Once opened, press the lid back down, keep it cold and eat it soon.

Allergen:
Contains fish.

This is a raw, cured product. People who are pregnant, elderly, very young or immunocompromised should avoid uncooked seafood. Order now.