Scouted: Here’s How to Buy Caviar Online, According to the Experts
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Whether you don’t have a local gourmet food shop that carries caviar nearby, don’t have a fishmonger on speed dial, or just can’t be bothered with IRL errands at the moment (honestly, same), when you’re looking for a credible place to buy caviar online but aren’t sure where to look (no, Reddit does not count), we’ve got you covered. After all, caviar is an elevated treat that’s not exactly known for being wallet-friendly, so if you’re going to invest, you want to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth. Fortunately, you can still indulge in a bougie caviar experience with online home delivery (even if you’re borderline caviar-clueless), but you do need to know a few red flags to watch out for before diving in. As with buying anything online, not all vendors are created equal, so knowing what to ask for—and what to avoid—is key.
Research the Supplier
For starters, experts recommend picking out your caviar species and even researching the supplier before settling on an e-tailer, including basic details like their address and phone number so you can look up where the caviar is being packed and verify that the business is properly vetted and reputable amongst its customers. “Look for transparency in their details, from address to phone number. Ensure [their] caviar is packed in an FDA-certified facility with local food inspection. Ask yourself: where is the caviar sourced? Delve into the region and country of origin,” says Edgar Panchernikov, General Manager at Caviar Russe.
Understanding Terminology
Marai Bolourchi, Vice President of Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, agrees, adding that understanding label terminology is also essential. “‘Grown by and distributed’ indicates that the caviar is both cultivated and packaged by the same company, ensuring consistency and quality control,” she explains. “The presence of ‘distributed by’ on the label suggests that a company sources and distributes. Often, the presence of ‘Packed in’ is mistaken for the origin of the caviar, but it means that the caviar was sourced elsewhere and repacked in that city or area.” Prepackaged caviar from a distributor can greatly affect the caviar’s shelf life, and quality—especially when purchasing online—is highly important.
Petra Higby, co-founder and CEO of The Caviar Co., adds that specificity and details about the origin, species, and breed of the caviar are equally as important as information about the supplier themselves—especially if you’re a caviar-curious novice. “For starters, you want to see whether it’s an Ocetra, Siberian, or white sturgeon. I would be leery of companies that leave out specific details.” The Caviar Co. prides itself on making enjoying caviar more accessible, sexy, and fun by helping people learn more about it and encouraging experimentation with the luxury snack, but as with dance and art, you have to know the rules before breaking them.
Bolourchi offers similar advice but adds that while terms like ‘Golden Reserve’ may seem like a red flag or just suspiciously generic, this is not the case. “As White Sturgeon farmers and caviar producers at Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, we understand the need for transparency,” she says. “Our ‘Golden Reserve’ grade is not randomly used; it’s the result of a meticulous, proprietary grading system developed by our founders, Mats and Dafne Engstrom, and refined over decades since the company’s inception in the mid-1980s.“
Roe v. Caviar
It’s also important to be cautious of brands marketing their roe as caviar—in order to be technically considered ‘caviar,’ the roe has to come from a sturgeon fish, which is a prehistoric endangered species, making it a rare delicacy with a loftier price point to match. Higby likens classifying roe v. caviar to champagne v. sparkling wine. “All bubbles are sparkling wine, but not all bubbles are champagne,” she says. Similarly, all fish eggs are roe, but not all roe is caviar. So, regardless of what your favorite sushi joint tells you, that roll topped with salmon “caviar” is actually just roe (which is still delicious, by the way).
Proper Shipping and Handling Are Essential
Once you’ve got your species, breed, and origins down, you’ve got to figure out how quickly your caviar will get to you, and obviously, it needs to be pretty fast. While Higby says that most caviar will stay fresh when unopened, fully sealed, and properly refrigerated for anywhere between four to six weeks, she further explains that your product should stay fresh for a period from about two to four days when refrigerated after the jar has been opened. Beware of vendors scant on the details of packaging and shipping your precious caviar cargo. Higby notes, “Our packages are relatively heavy because they’re filled with one-inch insulated phone liners inside and filled with ice.” So, if you are going to buy caviar online for home delivery, be prepared to pay the appropriate shipping rates for overnight delivery, proper padding and packaging, and even shipping insurance from either the handler or the retailer.
After all, you’re already spending your coin on a fancy treat; you don’t want a spoiled mess arriving at your door, turning your luxe caviar-tasting soirée into a stinky shindig with rotten fish eggs for the main course. If you keep these factors in mind when purchasing, you don’t need to live next to a grocery store catered to the Michelin chefs of the world to treat yourself to caviar at home. Read ahead to learn more about our favorite places to buy caviar online.
