Is Caviar a scam?
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Does caviar actually taste good or is it only popular because of it's status as a luxury product? In this video, we find out.
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📚 Videos & Sources mentioned:
On Food & Cooking by Harold McGee - pgs 239-242
NOAA Sturgeon: www.fisheries.noaa.gov/specie...
How Caviar is Made - • How Caviar Is Made - S...
North Carolina farm raising osetra caviar: • How to Run a $10 Milli...
Eater Caviar: • How Russian Sturgeon C...
US beluga farm (business insider): • Inside America's Only ...
"No kill" caviar milking method: • Thai farm ‘milks’ fish...
World's Most Expensive Caviar • This Caviar Will Set Y...
Global Caviar Market: www.seafoodsource.com/news/su...
How Caviar is produced: www.prestigeonline.com/th/lif...
Caviar Meaning: www.newworldencyclopedia.org/...
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⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
3:26 What is Caviar?
6:03 The History of Caviar
10:44 How is Caviar produced today?
16:42 What does Caviar taste like?
19:05 Taste Test 1: High End Sturgeon Caviar
22:36 Taste Test 2: Low Cost Caviar
24:24 Taste Test 3: Sturgeon Caviar Triangle Test
26:25 Is Caviar actually worth it?
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Caviar is just pop rocks for rich people
Just get skittles and smoked salty seaweed I guess.
I first thought it was poop rocks 😂
LOL!
The ultimate flex lol.
Please keep thinking that.
I used to eat sturgeon black caviar in Astrakhan, Russia where I was born. Every morning we would have this stuff by the buckets and we didn't think anything of it, it wasn't expensive at all. It was kind of "peasant food". How times have changed! I do love caviar but not at these prices, thanks for the video!
A former employee (retired) a Russian immigrant told me the same thing. Grew up in a poor fishing village and it was a staple. Nutritious and cheap.
Lobster used to be the same in Newfoundland. It’s what you ate. If you had to.
@@coreycannon4511 At one time in the US lobster was considered a punishment. Couldn't be served to prisoners more than once a week because it would be cruel and unusual punishment.
How much money do you send back home to Putin now ?
Putin
Are you gonna do lobster? Saffron? This series is wild. Gotta keep going with your evolving takes on healthy, cheap and easy stuff too because the way you balance those are very unique.
As for saffron I think the cost is justified due to the low amount that can be harvested each year, As far as I know there have been many initiatives to grow the species elsewhere but without success
@@Wallakazulum The question is less if it is justified, but if it's worth it
@@omarcostilla8863 That depends, it is so seldom used that not many people outside Spain are really familiar with the fragrance and may not miss it at all if you happen to not use it on a deserving dish. I personally did see an improvement on some dishes but it may just be luxury bias.
Saffron needs to be hand picked and 1 flower has like 10 strains of saffron on it thats why its expensive the beluga caviar is expensive becuase the fish has to be feed for 10 years iinn before it produces eggs this is not rocket science.
I bought beluga caviar on two occasions and I do like the taste, but it's not something that tastes extraordinarily, and there are things that are much tastier and much cheaper, so I don't think I will buy it again, at least not for a long time.
ty for this truly helpful review, i might buy it to try but i have a feeling ill think the same thing you do
@@ten-hx2xiin this industrial and innovative world, tasty things... Or things that most people like are mass manufactured and made cheaper. So a bitter tea would be more expensive but a sweet tea would be tastier. Just like how the most technologically advanced thing called smartphone is cheaper than a luxury bag. I could have bought an entire nation's gold reserves in ancient times in exchange for smartphone
Fish monger here, I really like the salmon caviar, it's a great product for the price and goes great with many things like eggs, rice, garnish for fancy dishes or on blinis with creme fresh. Also if you are able to get whole fish, there is a chance that they will have eggs inside them, and making your own caviar is incredibly easy, just soaking the eggs in salt water brine for a few minutes, Great video Ethan
Totally! I think the alternative fish caviars are slept on. I’d like to explore some different ways to use them in rice bowls, various, garnishes, etc.
There is a large range in the qualities of cured salmon eggs. I've had some that were very nice and others that are just salty, fishy (not spoiled, just that oily funkyness), and poorly textured.
@@EthanChlebowski russian here and I think you must have gotten a brand of red caviar that wasn't so great, there is huge variation in flavor. Some really are phenomenal with notes of sweetness to it. Texturally it's my favorite and is great on a little bit of bread and butter. It's spectacular if you get the right kind.
@@EthanChlebowski I‘m surprised that you hadn’t tasted them before. As a half-Japanese, I LOVE salmon caviar (on Sushi) and any Japanese person will probably tell you the same. Try it out if you can, I‘d imagine you can see how the sweet rice contrasts it beautifully!
I love salmon roe! I just go to all you can eat sushi restaurants that serve it and get my fill.
I was born in Odessa, Ukraine during the USSR era, and lived there until the age of 5. Caviar was not considered some luxury item back then (the late 80s) and my grandmother used to make me some bread with butter and black caviar every time I stayed with her. It was just fish eggs.
Greetings from Zhytomyr! 👋🏻❣
I mean it still is. The only hard thing about getting caviar is doing so sustainably.
Yeah--I didn't realize it was considered to be such a luxurious food item until I moved to the US.
it used to be a peasants food in early britania
Yes because there was no export market , now it all goes to China.
Dude, yknow what a great video would be? Comparing pre paid meal plans like factor 75, hello fresh, Marley spoon, etc. I would LOVE your educated input on stuff like that
KZheadrs aren't going go fuck the money up like this.
@@TokyoJuul8008 Especially since they're all over-hyped.
I just tried Factor and canceled after one box. The food was tasty but, holy cow, I had not read the nutrition labels before ordering. Most meals had more than 30g of fat and half of that was saturated fat. I got a variety so some of these were keto (44g/25g saturated) but even the non-keto ones were extremely high in fat and saturated fat.
@@radben951 People that are trained or thin eat a lot of fats especially saturated fats. People that have overweight lack these fats so their body tries to compensate for it by turning sugars for example into fat.
lmao he actually said educated.....XD hahahaha
Came upon this channel by accident…watched, then immediately subscribed. I really appreciated how you designed and produced this content…excellently done
When I was a kid, in the 60's, we used to have caviar on toast just about every breakfast. There was nothing "special" or "expensive" about it. I cannot recall when it started to be come a thing. And become so expensive.
but there was a lot gross about it. Cuz eating fish waste products is never tasty. Despite what deluded rich people say.
I fished for years, you ain't foolin nobody selling your fancy people snacks i can get at the bait shop.
@@SanityTV_Last_Sane_Man_AliveI agree that caviar is a needlessly expensive product but fish roe is definitely not a waste product
human psychology is a hell of a drug
@@SanityTV_Last_Sane_Man_Alive Are chicken eggs a waste product by that logic?
My father went to Azerbaijan to work kinda right after it became independent (mid to late 90s). When he would come back for his breaks, he would bring me each time a Tupperware full of sturgeon caviar (no I'm not joking). It was cheap, even if it was considered a delicacy, and especially cheap in a newly independent and economically highly volatile country. I later also had the chance to taste red and white caviar again thanks to him, and I really enjoy the white one
yea bro it's cheap as hell here i used to eat it every morning as breakfast, i quit though its bland and kinda boring after a while.
As a Bulgarian it was my surprise to find out that Bulgaria is also producing it. I never in my life tested it.
Was common food along Danube up to 1940. Morun was fished every year in the Black Sea.
Thank you. I've always wondered about this. Today you have finally answered the question that's in my mind for a long time
In Norway we can buy "kaviar" on a tube; it's about 50% cod-caviar mixed with oils, water and sugar, mainly. We eat it on bread , on eggs and so on. It's delicious. Costs about 2-3USD for a tube of 185grams.
Kalles Kaviar is very similar it seems!
I tried this for the first time awhile back and quite enjoyed it. And very reasonable.
Easily available in Norway and Sweden, but I haven't seen it being sold in Denmark. I like to think the scandinavian countries have the same food preferences, but that's not always the case.
hahaha kalles kaviar...😊
Mmm yum. Fish eggs on bird eggs! Eggs²
Love that you adopted the triangle test after someone in the comments recommended it the other time. Great to see this series grow and evolve even from its already high quality start.
Fantastic video, love the info as much as the attept at being unbiased. Really enjoyed this, ty
I'm a bit of a food snob and I love caviar; however, I've also concluded that white sturgeon caviar is at most times superior to ossetra or other caspian species. The white sturgeon caviar that I purchase almost has a melon note to it that I thoroughly enjoy over the buttery, nutty brine flavor of more exclusive caviars Great video!
As Russian person, I ate caviar pretty regularly (several times a year), the red caviar is THE caviar for me. It is not too expensive and for me personally has a better taste than the black caviar. Combo it with fresh bread and some unsalted butter, and you have yourself the perfect snack for special occasions
Reminds me of the buttered toast with nori often eaten in japan as a breakfast item. Love it myself and wish to have it more often.
Im finna pick me up some honestly. Red caviar sounds cool.
From someone, who was born and raised in USSR (Volgograd), who had it all… The best caviar you can have is the pike caviar, freshly made. Especially if you caught that pike yourself. The fresher the better.
thank god it's not expensive. But it's a gread caviar, approve
This is my first video of yours and I'm watching and I must say it's my first of many. Fun content and presented extremely well as well as educational. I'll probably show this to my kids
I remember few days before newyear 2024, I was at a supermarket and wanted to buy a jar of caviar. I don't know anything about caviar except that it tastes good. Luckily for me, there were two guys standing near, discussing caviar. Discussing with a sense of knowledge, like they were talking what's good and what's bad about each type. "Good" - I thought, - "They seem to know their way around caviar, I'll use their guidance to buy myself the best one". In the end they bought a specific jar of caviar because it was the cheapest. I did the same.
and now you're an expert, too!
I love a good whiskey. My friend grew up in an affluent family and was telling me one time about how his dad had a $1500 bottle of Pappy Van Winkle and how on his high school graduation his dad "gifted" him a shot of Pappy. I don't think I've ever spent more than $75 on a bottle of whiskey and I was making over $100k the last two years. Some of the best whiskey I've had is a $25 bottle of Irish blended whiskey called Sexton. My buddy has one of the best tequilas I've had (I'm not a huge tequila drinker, but I can tell gasoline from good shit) and it was $30.
@@Brando56894can vouch for the Sexton
I worked a wealthy man's party where they served high end caviar. I was offered a taste, both with and without the toast and crème fraiche. I didn't like it either way. Many years later, I was in a conversation where we were talking about over rated foods and I mentioned that I didn't like the taste of caviar, and one person who thought he knew everything said "You must have had the cheap stuff, because nobody admits to disliking the high end stuff!" I can guarantee the stuff I had wasn't cheap! Caviar isn't for everyone!
the one time I had some super expensive truffle pate, I almost threw up at how awful it tasted. I'm pretty sure "luxury" foods are up there with modern art. Pure nonsense.
@@moonashapate tastes like dog food, and I would consider myself to have a pretty great palate
He may have been onto something on the "nobody _admits_ to disliking high end $$$$ stuff" because you'd feel like an as* who just blew $500 for some salty balls
@@alexia3552I wasn't the one who purchased it, so I lost nothing. A very wealthy man threw a party and everyone else was eating it, so it didn't go to waste. I've tried it different ways and I don't like it.
I can actually confirm that the stuff you had was the expensive one precisely because you didn't like it. Caviar by itself doesn't taste all that good, and black caviar specifically is pretty much tasteless, but they deliberately leave it like that in high end processing to "preserve the taste", which leads to a bland "taste like nothing" expression. I used to live both in the north and on Black Sea, I ate tonns of stuff and I NEVER liked black caviar, and even more, I sincerely doubt anyone could like it because it is literally tasteless. People just pretend to like it - or convince themselves they should - because it is expensive and is considered luxury.
I just realized something. Your videos are litterally essays (i know right?!) with a thesis, research question, and nicely partitioned into sections with evidence and analysis and the whole deal. You make it seem so effortless and fun to write these essays and do the research for your video-compared to the essays we are required to write at school.
They are terrific. You can definitely write good video scripts too with a little help from gpt. I use it to draft scripts for videos and anything else I need to do. It builds a draft in seconds that you can tweak to your own style. I suspect a large percentage of videos these days are crafted with some help from AI. The writers didn't strike for nothing.
@@rarephoenixthanks for sharing!
Yes, a video essay
thats why its called a video ESSAY
@@rarephoenixDepends on the person. I routinely write essays because... I'm a fucking nerd. I do it for fun. I tried using AI. It's way easier for me to do the research and assemble the essay than it is for me to prompt the AI and then try to check the facts it provides, especially when asking for sources is so spotty. (As of when I tried.) Writing an essay can be just a thing you do if you do it enough. No one is holding me to APA for them and that takes most the drudgery out of them. Christ, if I die and someone gets into my laptop they're going to be like 'this guy was a fuck. Why did we spend time with him?' 😂
First video of yours ive seen, very informative. If all your videos look into history as much as moden time ill have to binge the whole channel.
Same! The algorithm is doin a good job today, this is way up my alley!
I’d love to see a follow up about the Japanese/Sushi variants like Masago, Tobiko, Ikura, and some of the variants like black tobiko which is my personal favorite. Black Tobiko is flying fish roe with squid ink to make it black and add umami. I get it on my favorite sushi roll and it’s awesome! I’d also love to see you do a video on the more “processed foods” that are controversial but also have high end versions like Spam, Krab, can Corned Beef… etc. those foods that people either love or hate, and some people refuse to ever try because they’re “so processed”… but I’ve also tasted some expensive 10$ can of corned beef, and expensive Japanese Krab meat and they’re pretty incredible! I just want more people to appreciate the versatility and tastiness of stuff like Spam, vienna sausages and frozen meatballs. They have such a bad reputation but they can be really delicious if shown some love! There’s some real hidden gems out there in the form of premium canned or shelf stable meats and seafood. Just a thought! Loving these deep dives!
I was wondering the same about sushi Masago, Tobiko ect.. how are they different from Caviar
agreed. ikura is my absolute favorite sushi. especially with a raw quail egg yolk on top. umami bomb. throw in a piece of sea urchin and its the best bite of food on the planet
Mmm yes I love tobiko, mostly for the amazing texture
@@10010x0x0x01101XX0X1I’m eating Ikura right now🔥😊….I can’t eat a sushi roll without it, now! I already liked Masago, so it wasn’t much for me to be curious about Ikura. I haven’t tried the others, yet. Now I have something to look forward to👍🏾
I am also a tobiko fan, and wondered how you would compare that to the other fish eggs. I've had sturgeon caviar, and i liked it, but i think i like flying fish roe even better. And it's affordable.
Ethan, been watching your vids for a while now and I just gotta say, you’re doing everything right. In the age of intensely obnoxious click bait garbage on youtube, you present things clearly, thoughtfully, transparently and above all: like a normal professional human. No tricks, no gags, no annoying narcissistic influencer me-me-me videos. Just perfectly succinct explanations using the scientific method, all with the goal of making your audience smarter and more informed when shopping. I am generally a cynic when it comes to the actual sincerity of most high view youtubers. Usually they focus on brand building and disguise their own shitty videos as being informative, while donning some phony charismatic persona to generate likes. But you cut through the noise and present your material beautifully. And when you do insert your sponsor content, you dont try to conceal it as if it were a part of your topic. Its cut and dry, “here is ad time… moving on”. Its refreshing to see a successful youruber that actually respects the intelligence of his audience. Last time I felt this way was with Alton Brown 20 years ago. If you werent on youtube, youd make a great teacher. Keep it up, and please never turn into a childish obnoxious click bait ad revenue farmer, like another very popular cooking personality…
i agree!
"another very popular cooking personality" - who, may I ask?
I might be confused but what he did was more pseudoscientific. The tests of the cheaper caviar were not truly blind as he had different sized containers and thus could feel and tell what product it was. He also didn't cleanse his pallet between the taste tests and then did back to back taste tests. What's very possible is that he's stacking the flavor of each subsequent test on the previous one. "These are all running the same to me..." Yeah, they're all running the same because he's not really doing a scientific test and taking into account what happens on the tongue, nose, and mouth when you're eating. But hey, this is still fun CONTENT.
@@lukepev5459 joshua weissman would certainly fit the description
Agree
Can't forget the fact that during a Discord Chat about Vegetarianism someone brought up Caviar or specifically Salmon Egg which I, someone who often eat Vegetarian Food said weren't Vegetarian because you need to kill the fish. Without anyone knowing a conversation about Vegetarianism turned into how Fishes don't Menstruate as they only let out the egg when mating.
Norwegian kaviar is an everyday item for sandwiches. Cheap, affordable and tasty with eggs and/or cheese. We use cod roe.
The places where caviar is a luxury items are where beef and chicken are the staple foods, namely the interior of the US
I grew up in Soviet Union and as much as folks rave about the black caviar, red or salmon caviar is still a much more unique experience, that also comes at a way more reasonable price.
I agree. Salmon caviar is amazing
Salmon caviar is too salty for me and I personally like the subtle "melt" sturgeon caviar has over the popping boba texture salmon caviar has, but there's really no reason to shell the big bucks for a tin unless they're already slapping it on a dish at a Michelin restaurant. I'll agree salmon caviar is definitely more unique of an experience and way more distinct for a fraction of the cost
@@travis3571you can get salmon caviar that’s low in salt
@@travis3571 I completely agree, salmon caviar was just too gooey and salty for me, but for the price it is definitely worth it to try and see if you like it! Although I disagree on your last point, I think every once in a long while, if you can afford it, just get a little tin of the good stuff and really treat yourself. Really savor it and treat it like the amazing experience it is! Having just a little on a nice cracker at home is SO nice, I think it’s easier to really focus on the textures and flavors of the caviar alone. But that’s just me!
Same. Black caviar has a certain delicacy/meatiness to it, but I much prefer red caviar. It also depends on how you serve it. I won't have it unless there's quality fresh bread and good butter. It's crazy how normal it was to munch on caviar in those days. The prices in the US are insane.
I do buy Salmon caviar from time to time when I make deviled eggs or homemade sushi. I like the taste of caviar but don't care enough to pay the exorbitant amount of money they want for the "right" caviar from sturgeons.
I love salmon roe. The briny umami bursts are so delicious.
I use salmon roe for fishing.
I've been doing fancy deviled eggs like this for decades. Always a big hit.
Oh I'm gonna put this on deviled eggs now, thanks for the idea!
Caviar should be priced expensively. It kills a viable breeding fish from a vulnerable species that takes many years to mature. It should not be taken lightly as a cuisine. But in order to continue with funding and conservation efforts humans have to have a way to make profit off this fish because that's how science works in this day and age.
Hi, since you are doing an informative and educational video, I would like to correct some mistakes. The origin of soy sauce is not from Japan, but China. Below is a text from Kikkoman's website, the brand of soy sauce you showed in this video at 7:50 . "In ancient China, preserved foods and their seasonings were known as jiang - perhaps the forerunner to what we now know as soy sauce. Different types of jiang were produced from meat, seafood, vegetables, and grain. Of these ingredients, grain was the most easily available and manageable, so the jiang made from soybeans and wheat developed more rapidly. The process of making this “grain jiang” eventually spread from China into Japan and other neighbouring countries."
yes that's correct soy sauce is from China. @EthanChlebowski please update with the correction
I'm confused why you wouldn't post this on the relevant video, but one that is completely unrelated?
Soy sauce is from china. The white man is spreading false information. I wonder what other facts he states is wrong in the video .@@Akira42
@@Akira42 I was thinking the exact same thing. Caviar.....?...... Soy sauce... ? I don't see the connection. 😅
@@Akira42at 7:53 he asserts that soy sauce is from Japan. This statement would still be untrue even if we took the generous assumption that he meant that the best soy sauces are associated with Japan (e.g. how prosciutto is associated with Parma, Bourbon Whiskey must meet requirements to be labelled as Bourbon, etc.) simply because neither the best nor most iconic soy sauces are from Japan, alongside how the invention of soy sauce in China predates Japan’s existence
The human element is important in taste. My Russian grandparents gave me black caviar spread on bread the room we were in was dark so I thought it was chocolate spread….boy what a shock that was…. I haven’t had caviar since… lol
I'd probably incorporate some kind of palate cleanser for future blind tests, especially for something with such a powerful and yet subtle taste.
he had water, but yea....i doubt it would change much.
You shouldn't need one if the difference matters in any significant way.
@@Rokiriko If you taste food for the purpose of tasting and expressing the flavour, then, yes, you do need to clense. -That's the point of it.
Absolutely, I work for a Company that makes ice cream. We had a taste test recently and it was recommended that we use crackers and water between taste tests
I forgot to say that I just love these deep dives. They answer so many questions I have about the different foods and condiments that I use all the time. I’m a good home cook and I find cooking a relaxing and creative experience. However, I haven’t got the time or the skill set to taste test the different olive oils, soy sauces or caviars so I really appreciate what you do. Thanks again.
I love caviar. A friend brought me Osetra from Russia in the 80’s. I still have a picture of my son eating from a pearl spoon in his high chair. Crazy 80’s! Perhaps I associate the time and place as a particularly wonderful time in my life and therefore it was amazing, but I have subbed out less expensive and more sustainable options. Not as good but every Christmas this is my favorite gift. Homemade blinis. Oh my goodness. Mouth watering.
Great video. I haven’t jumped up to Sturgeon caviar. But been wanting to try. I typically get flying fish roe when we do sushi night. Very inexpensive and adds great notes to our food.
I'm enjoying how intentional and deliberately meticulous you're being in all your tastings no matter if it's caviar or grilled chicken breasts. You've come a long way as a cook! So fun to watch because quite frankly the way you go about it is on par with those of us that are professionals in the restaurant industry doing the same thing. Kudos brother!
I'm from Russia. My parents ate black caviar by the spoonful (maybe in the mid 80's), and also ate crabs because seafood was easier to get than meat. And fish was cheaper. Since the fish population has been reduced (Because of poachers), the price of caviar has gone up. Now a can of red caviar (about 125 grams) of salmon costs 600-800 rubles/6-8 dollars, black sturgeon caviar costs 8000-10000 rubles/80-100 dollars. Russians like to eat caviar with pancakes and spread it on a buttered sandwich (usually on New Year's Eve)
No flying fish roe (Tobiko)? Lol. I love that green color, with the slight, spicy kick. Masago is good too, but milder. I've enjoyed all the baluga caviar I've had. I also enjoy salmon roe, but it does tend to be a tad too salty for me and the popping texture can be touch-and-go. Lol. Not sure if I've ever had whitefish caviar though. Interesting note: I once took a friend to get sushi (his first time), and he really enjoyed the sushi wrapped with Tobiko roe. But he didn't know it was raw fish eggs. So when he commented as to why the restaurant took the time to dye the "rice" green, I laughed so hard. He wasn't too pleased when I told it what it was.
I mean, you do know they did take the time to die the eggs green though right? tobiko isn't naturally green, neither does it have a natural spicy kick, they mix it with wasabi, so wouldn't say your friend was too wrong.
Excellent video, well thought out and presented. You have a new subscriber.
My dad used to serve caviar appetizers at Christmas; I'm sure not high-end, but most likely not the cheap stuff either. My brother and I were talking about it the other day, because we both actually really liked it, and we're thinking about picking some up, but we're not particularly wealthy, so this was a very worthwhile education for me. Thanks, as always. I always learn from you.
A lot of westerners don’t know even realize that, if you’ve ever been out for good sushi, there’s a VERY high chance that you’ve actually already eaten a type of caviar before! Those tiny little orange dots you get on the exterior surface of many popular types of (uramaki) sushi rolls are actually flying fish roe, called “tobiko.” Also: Salmon roe-the big orange balls in this video-get called “ikura” and star as _the_ topping/filling in a specific kind of (gunkanmaki) sushi.
Flying fish roe sushi is one of my favorites!
Dominion (2018)
Most westerners that eat sushi realize that lol
Interesting! In Poland we have 2 words for caviar - kawior and ikra. I didn't realise the latter had connotations with Japan
I mean my three year old doesn’t know what it is, he just eats it. But I doubt there’s any adult eating roe that doesn’t know what it is. 😂
I love your work, Ethan. In the future I hope you could get a subject expert to do a blind test as well. I'd love to hear what they'd pick up going through your process on their own
Thank you for satisfying all my most costly curiosity. You answer all the questions that keep me up at night!
You should have added American Bowfin, American Paddlefish, and Black Lumpfish caviars, all a more affordable alternative to sturgeon caviar. That are also more similar in size and texture to sturgeon caviar, so better when doing a blind taste test.
yeah but if u do champagne u kinda compare it to its main rivals, nothing against US caviar,I mean sure instead of white fish and salmon but again those are much cheaper than bowfina nd lumpfish eggs no?
lumpfish tastes like feces, dont bother. paddlefish is fine
In the State of Oklahoma, if you catch a paddle fish, you must turn it over to the state. The fish meat will be returned to you. But the eggs will be sold to pay for the paddle fish program.
All caviars are good except for lumpfish.
@@XKS99 Why? I quite enjoy it
This is definitely one of the best videos i've seen in this platform! Extremely informative, clean and pleasant editing, cited sources, performing actual scientific experiments to answer the questions posed, and a proper conclusion (not to mention the very nice host) Great stuff! If only there were more of this type of content
really glad that your video felt quite balanced and open minded and learned quite a bit about caviar! I love pollack roe with perilla oil and scallions on white rice 🤤 but have never had sturgeon caviar before or even really known how unique the sturgeon as a fish is!
Forgot to mention how much of roe are actually (color) dyed. Sometimes its obvious, like bright green, but many times its not! Like black. Doesn't seem to be clearly disclosed, so beware of color tags and the like on eggs that are just dyed (rich red/orange also common)
I grew up in Russia and the taste of caviar is something that comes with the memories from the childhood. My both kids grew up in US. Son loves black caviar, but my daughter likes red. I introduced them to caviar when they were kids. Americans in general don't like it. It's like buckwheat... and lots of foods you grew up with...
Please make a video on salts - table, kosher, sea, Himalayan, vulcanic(black), etc. Sugars/Sweeteners would be cool too.
Better not, theres a max amount of salt recomended and im pretty sure it less tha 10 g per day 😮
@@valentinacastillo4491 doesn't matter to most people
It reminds me a bit of when I moved from Chicago to Boston and people were paying upwards of 30 bucks for a lobster roll, which to me was basically akin to tuna salad but with lobster. I couldn’t figure out what the deal was until I saw another KZhead video on how plentiful lobster used to be and how it was mostly a “poor man’s food.” Then I realized that a lobster roll was not created for luxury but simply for living.
I don't understand lobster, either. Obviously, they are not the same but, given the price difference, I'm perfectly happy with shrimp, which I love.
Yeah, you go back 100 years or so and there are complaints from Prisoners in Achetraz complaining about the inhumane nature of being fed lobster more than twice a week..
Lobster was considered a bottom feeding sea bug. Basically a giant ocean cockroach. I mean look at them 😂😂😂
@@SilvaDreamswhen the oceans get depleted by overfishing tilapia and carp and other trashy fish will be a rare luxury good of the rich. Get it while you can.🎉
I had my first lobster roll a couple weeks ago in Ohio. It was dripping butter sauce when I bit into it. It was also friggin delicious and not $30 😂.
First time to the channel, I love the content and I will subscribe, can’t wait to watch the eggs from chickens. I am the guy who typically buys the most expensive because usually more expensive equals better. Taste better quality control, so I can’t wait to find out if I’ve been wasting money all this time, I’ve eaten caviar a few times in my life at fancy restaurants and always wondered what the hell it was besides being just fish eggs. So thank you for the incredible education that you have provided here. I think I will go out and try that $50 can in the future From what you were describing your taste buds sound very similar to what I would enjoy. Since were so many different varieties and the cost was so high I just never pursued having these. Plus I do not know the actual benefits now that I do maybe I will implement that Into a random diet.
These videos are amazing. Love the amount of science and history behind them.
I've searched for basically this exact video before, but always felt like the tests were marred by bias and the weird cultural expectations around caviar. Really appreciate your more scientific approach to taste testing, always feel like you're never looking for a particular outcome
I loved this deep dive and the blind taste tests -- I've been curious about caviar for a while now and this literally answers all of my questions. I really appreciate you put in the time to do this
Osetra Malossol caviar is my favorite. I like it more than the more expensive Kaluga hybrid caviar. I think the price is perfectly reasonable if you’re only having it every so often. It’s a nice treat to look forward to. That slightly salty umami flavor tastes like nothing else. I’m surprised you didn’t really appreciate the taste. The orange salmon roe you can get anywhere and it comes in a few different types of sushi. Almost all Sushi places also have very small orange and black roe all of the time. That’s not salmon roe but it’s called flying fish roe. But that roe (the orange salmon and flying fish roe) you get on sushi tastes nothing like sturgeon caviar (like Osetra).
very informative video, thank you Ethan!
Important thing to note about the red caviar is that unlike black caviar it's not usually eaten by itself because of its strong flavour snd saltiness. In Russia its mostly consumed as a spread on top of a white bread with some butter and is considered one of the New Year (Christmas) foods. Also to note is that the red caviar too has several subtypes which are different in size and flavor, the best in my opinion being kizhutch (coho salmon) and gorbusha (pink salmon).
Is red caviar prepared differently from the ikura (salmon eggs) that I've had with Japanese food? In my experience, they're not salty at all and have a delicate, fatty flavour with notes of seafood. I image the name 'cavier' means they've been cured with salt and the Japanese style doesn't do that?
@@Xorthis ikura comes from the russian word "ikra", so its probably the same its like hottodoggu or hamburgeru
@@Specificify Yep, but I'm asking if it's a different product...
@@Specificifyhamburgeru isn’t a real word they use hambagu
Eh, it's mostly offered as a spread. Black caviar, red caviar... eggplant caviar.
This series is actually extremely useful for cooking. From the Chicken egg video to this and the other ones youve done, feels like im actually able to buy stuff without getting caught up in the marketing.
It is interesting to see a video breaking this down! I have had 1 chance to try it myself as well, because there was extra already prepaid for at a catering event I was working. It was served with the creme fraiche/blini combination, and I have to agree, it is interesting to try but ultimately not even close to worth its pricing. My memory has it kind of like a really expensive deviled egg.
My reaction to caviar is approximately the same as Tom Hanks's reaction to it in _Big._
I am consistently impressed by the quality of these videos, the ways in which you explore, the brief history lessons - it all comes together in a way that I get super excited for learning about these foods and often will start expanding what I try and what I look for when shopping as a result. I really like the pivot you've done in your content from exploratory home cook to impartial authority on debunking culinary confusion.
Cod roe caviar cost $10/kg in Sweden. It's different from the caviars Ethan tested, the roe eggs are tiny and the caviars is mixed with oil, sugar, tomato puree. Nonetheless, it has a lot of umami and salt flavor and works great as a sandwich spread topped with a boiled egg. Btw, seaweed roe is a thing that would have been fun to compare with fish roe.
I had to google that. I didn't have time to deep dive, though. Have you compared them? Does it really taste like caviar? Or like so many vegan alternatives, is it something that looks similar enough to stick a label on, but doesn't actually taste anything at all like the original?
Same in Norway; roe "caviar" is a staple on many breakfast tables and is eaten on a slice of buttered bread. Some also contain mayo to some degree to make the taste milder for esp. kids. Have you every tried the Norwegian "Svolværpostei"? Sold in a small tin. This is in my opinion the best variation of kaviar. It is a drier, much more smoked variant, and contains a bit of cod liver. It has an amazing flavor - however you have to finish the tin once open as it does react quickly with air and becomes "fishy".
@@brucetidwell7715 I've only eaten seaweed roe a couple of times, but I'd say it tastes pretty similar. It has the umami and salty flavor and the texture is pretty similar too, tasted good on a blini with sour cream and red onion, so I'd say it's a pretty good substitute, way cheaper too. Having said that, I'm not a caviar connoisseur, I've only had beluga caviar once.
@@brucetidwell7715 I have tried some caviar, but my Love is still Kalles (formerly Kalles Caviar) which is a caviar paste on cod, salt and more. It did change it's name from Kalles Caviar to just Kalles because all other types of Caviar... which I cannot understand since it is pretty easy to understand the difference. Like Kalles and all store specific ones are the common caviar, all other caviar goes by their actual name. Kalles do have a vegan version from 2016
Is seaweed roe the same thing as umibudo?
Great video! Pretty damn fascinating!!
Good video. Something I've always wondered about, but never wanted to spend the money to find out!
I honestly don't care a whole lot about caviar but I will watch anything Ethan puts out these days - these deep dives never fail to fascinate me!
The way I eat caviar is so important. I can't just have it without anything. It is an occasion. So I have toested white bread, not blinis. Then I have cremme fraish on top of that and then some raw charlotte onion. Then the caviar and a small squeeze of lemon on top. This is simply divine. But it is simply more the ritual than the taste (even though I love the taste).
could you do one comparing the imitation ones with the real ones? love your videos!
Really wish you had put that second test into similar containers. However, I do feel you are giving your best opinion. Thank you. I will now have to try this my self. The last test does make your point.
I'll just get a burger, thanks
🤔 burger day… Not like caviar day is it. Good idea.
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊@@j_freed
@@iridium8341Crackers are good for fish eggs. I put tobiko on it.
Can I get mine with caviar please?
i wonder if anyone makes like, a fish sandwich with caviar on it
it would be great if you could add metric units to your videos, as its a hassle to always roughly convert units, just in the corner a litte text that for example says (15°c | 59°f) or (23'7" | 718 cm), these videos are really informative and it would elevate the experience, thanks in advance
The conversion is simple math. The biggest sturgeon in this video for instance was a little more than 1,500kg.
@@lookoutforchris yeah, thats my point. it distracts from the video and you only do it roughly instead of accurately. also its more second nature to americans to convert to metric, as only 3 countries use imperial while the rest of the world uses metric units. it would be akin to using the "doppelzentner" or "morgen" or even the "ell", yeah, you can convert these no problem, but its a hassle.
@@ElGrandeIngenio Trust me, as an American (and a math teacher), it is most definitely not second nature for Americans to convert to metric. There is absolutely no reason to convert to metric in everyday life here because most products are labeled with both imperial and metric weight/volume (ergo no need to do the mental math). As the USA has the largest native English speaking population, most media we consume caters to us. We don't convert regularly because it's simply not necessary. Others do it for us.
@@AngieBee-uz1tw "no reason to convert to metric in everyday life here because most products are labeled with both imperial and metric weight/volume" - yeah, thats why im suggesting it.... its easier, also native english speakers are the minority when it comes to speaking english
I was born in Ukraine - and was very young and went to a trip to Russian in Early 90s with my family - me being under 10 years old. I ate Sturgeoun black caviar by spoonsful - like it was cereal. Good times :)
Salmon roe is used a lot in Japanese food. It was interesting that he said it was very salty, in my experience, ikura (salmon eggs) has a fatty, almost sweet, flavour, with seafood notes, but not fishy if fresh, with a plesent popping sensation. For sure one of my favourite things to have on fusion sushi, even if it is a little more expensive. I do notice in the video that the salmon cavier is homogenous in colour. The salmon eggs I've had have a very visible deeper red dot inside that will float to the top of the egg, kind of like a yolk. So maybe the ones I've had aren't cured in salt, which would explain the difference.
I'm so impressed by your approach. You're aware of every form of bias that can influence test results. Every aspect of this tasting, you've constructed it just as I would have. Very scientific, even when it comes to assessing a taste experience. Currently, I know of no KZheadr who approaches it better!
I must say that the quality of your videos is as good or better than many shows on TV. Very well researched, very well done.
Not really? Just form the first few minutes I can spot some mistakes like lumping in salmon roes with caviar and then building on that wrong foundation to suggest salmon roes have the same sort of utilities as sturgeon caviar, whe salmon roes have always been accessible as part of Japanese and Russian cuisine without them ever being considered luxury food.
A good salmon caviar is just smooth, sexy, silky and wonderful. When I go to sushi restaurants I always get Ikura (salmon eggs). Also, one he didn't mention is incredibly popular in sushi restaurants here in the states as well as Japan, Flying Fish Eggs. They are teeny tiny and they pop when you chew them. It sounds odd, but is actually very good. Go to your sushi joint and give both of them a whirl. Not expensive at all, about 5 bucks.
The quality of your content is just superb
You should do a deep dive on butter next.
Every single one of your videos I watch is always so well written and well produced.
As an American living in Russia, I personally like he salmon (red) caviar the best. Keep in mind when my wife servers caviar you don't just eat it straight up. She basically cuts a small pieces of white bread, typically from a baton, puts butter on them and then puts the caviar on top. I've seen this at numerous parties. Any beluga caviar just costs stupid money IMO, and isn't worth it. I've only had it at weddings and stuff like that and I would rather have been eating the red stuff.
Cool video. I've never had it. I enjoy salmon roe and others from my favorite local sushi restaurant a few times a year and don't feel the need to go beyond that. Thanks!
I used to work in the caviar room at a fish processing plant, and at least for salmon roe we would literally pick out any imperfections or bits of membrane with tweezers before packing, after pressing. Also salmon roe over white rice is amazing!
& nori
Uganda being in the top 5 producers surprised me, especially since they are landlocked. Brilliant content as always, am gonna savour it.
Keep in mind china produces more than all the other countries combined since they use non killing methods now, so the difference is minor between lets say poland or uganda since its all farmed
He got trolled by some source or just googled for 2 minutes before making the video. Uganda makes VANILLA caviar. Thins of pure vanilla bean pods that they call caviar because it looks like it but it just vanilla.
Lots of caviar comes from freshwater sturgeon. Sturgeon can live in both salt and fresh waters. Same with salmon, obviously. So its possible to have freshwater ca iar farms and olenty of caviar from the US is freshwater farmed.
Roe from Lump fish, caught in Canadian ocean waters, is also sold as caviar around the world. On a side note, lump fish are one weird fish.
Always had caviar at Christmas as an appetizer growing up, it was almost a tradition and it always made it to the table on that holiday.
As someone fortunate enough to grow up with various sturgeon caviars available, I still, oddly enough, prefer the salmon roe. I should try the white fish one you also featured, mostly for its color...
I’ve loved caviar since I was a teenager and got to try it at a fancy party my parents took me to for one of their friends book launch. However, I’ve never seen the point to paying a lot for it since the whitefish roe I’ve had is just fine for me. For a special dinner party I’ve bought the white sturgeon caviar but since I mostly serve it either on tiny baked potatoes with sour cream and chives or on blini with grate egg yolks and chives the subtle flavor differences get lost and its mostly about the texture and saltiness.
Great piece, good context and honest assessment. Thanks Ethan. Fish roe can be delicious in its various incarnations but hardly worth mortgaging your house for...
Really cool! Could do a video about uncooked ham - talking of spanish jamón serrano and italian prosciutto…
As always, Ethan, you have done a magnificent job. I would love to see a little more analysis and comparison with other types of fish eggs--such as tobiko (flying fish roe, common on sushi), paddlefish caviar, capelin, hackleback, lumpfish and so forth. Also, I think the French are using Snail eggs to provide some similarity.....? Keep up the great work!
Just the thought of snail eggs makes bile rise up in my throat. However, do snails actual produce enough eggs to be practical?
Snail eggs seems a bit problematic considering the parasitism risks involved. That aside, I too would like to have seen that, especially considering my own love/hate relationship with tobiko (love their taste, hate their texture which feels gritty like dirt in the mouth to me).
Gotta say personally I love a bagel with cream cheese and lumpfish caviar on it. Shit's delicious and a jar cost $5 near me.
Fab video. I have been making caviar on my fishing trips for a while now. Wanted to utilise the roe when harvesting trout. Your video was so comprehensive and fascinating, I learned a much. Thank you
Love your vids, u are the best ❤
I live in Europe and sometimes I just go to the supermarket and buy some low cost caviar (around 15-20 bugs per jar (same size as in the video)) and I just eat it with a spoon like a snack. Of course it's usually not sturgeon caviar but I still just like the taste so much I actually don't care. I think fish eggs just taste good. Am I weird, because of that?
no, but as taster of different kind of caviar, sturgeon one is the least appealing. It is not that good and price isn't worth it. Salmon (or other red fish) caviar is better. It is fat, salty and have nice additional umami taste. There are different types of such caviar, such as trout or other salmons. And structure is different too. So it is not weird. People who didn't eat it as delicacy maybe won't understand it. But oysters are also not that expensive for small portion and they are not for anybody as well, regardless how you prepare it (which plays big role).
Ethan, you're hands down the best food channel on KZhead. I love your videos. Really well researched, fantastic editing and brilliant topic choices. This video is a banger.
Pre covid I found Seasons at the odd lot store. $8. On buttered toast, yum. Capelin roe which is red. Seasons had so much dye to make it black, a bonus was blue poo for 2 days. I like Romanoff for the cheap.
Very useful info. Thanks
The first time I tried caviar I thought it tasted just like tinned sardines 😅 Aka, it just tastes like whatever liquid is in the tin/jar it's packaged in.
Love the honest explanation. Subscribed
You should do a deep dive of cooking with fruit, when is it best to use it in a dish, examples, how to cook certain fruits, fruits you should avoid cooking, sauses, garnish or the base of the dish
Ive always kinda thought about trying caviar. Since watching this, I think I'll DEFINITELY try the cheaper farmed cans and if I like it, maybe advance on to a more expensive one. ❤ currently, I've only ever had the little orange flying fish roe they put on sushi ❤ thanks for all of the info! Love your videos!
You just got yourself a new subscriber. Loved how much effort you put into this it really shows!
Likewise!
Me too.