Caviar 101

Interested in ordering caviar for your gathering? First, you should school yourself in the different types of caviar.
Caviar is the salted eggs from three types of sturgeon fish - Beluga, Osetra, and Sevruga. It is an easy yet elegant appetizer. Understand what you are buying and how you should buy it. Here are some guidelines, courtesy of www.freshcaviar.com:

It is best to purchase from a store that will order caviar fresh or order it from a reputable mail order caviar company. Remember caviar is a fresh product with special care requirements and a very short shelf life. Caviar is very delicate. Once the importer unpacks and repackages the Caviar into jars or tins for sale it only has a shelf life of 2 to 3 weeks, even when maintained at the proper temperature. Caviar will last about 1 week at home in your refrigerator. It should be stored in the coldest part, usually in the meat compartment. Caviar should be eaten within 2 to days after opening

Here is how to distinguish between the different types of caviar:

Beluga is the largest of the three types of sturgeon fish and is highly prized for the large size of its eggs. Beluga is the rarest of the sturgeon fish and can weigh more than 2500 pounds and reach lengths of over 20 feet. Beluga Caviar ranges in color from light pearly gray to dark steely gray.

Osetra is a medium size sturgeon fish generally reaching 10 feet and weighing 500 pounds or more. Osetra Caviar ranges in color from dark brown to golden yellow. It has a unique nut flavor.

Sevruga is the smallest and most abundant of the three sturgeons. It reaches 7 feet and weighs up to 150 pounds. The eggs are small and gray in color.

You should serve caviar on caviar toast.

As for how it should taste, good quality caviar never tastes salty, say the experts. The taste of Caviar is best described as "a breath of fresh clean ocean air," according to www.freshcaviar.com. It has a consistency of butter and melts in your mouth.