Carnet Connoisseur: American Caviar American Caviar Goes Head to Head With The Imports Anabel de la Grange
“And with your domestic caviar, would you rather have a glass of California sparkling wine or a shot of French vodka?”
What could have sounded like a joke a few years ago is a gourmet reality today.
In September 2005 the United States banned the import of Caspian Sea beluga caviar, but the ban was partially lifted in January 2007, allowing the sale of 96 tons of caviar. One hopes this will not stop the development of US caviar producers. For the past decade, the United States has been producing top-quality caviar from farm-raised sturgeon. Tsar Nicoulai, at the Farmer’s Market in San Francisco sells a superb osetra, called California Estate Osestra. It is eco-friendly, but, unfortunately, barely less expensive than Iranian or Russian Caviar. . . . Yes, geopolitics has a central role in the setting of caviar prices!
Osetra caviar from the West Coast American white sturgeon can compete with its Iranian or Russian counterparts. Even French chefs such as Jean Georges Vongerichten or Joël Robuchon are using American caviar in their US restaurants. And remember that in the early 1900s, Canada and the United States were the major suppliers of caviar—and oysters, by the way—to Europe. So why shouldn’t you serve it at your parties?
But remember a few simple rules: serve it with wood, horn, mother-of-pearl, or even plastic spoons, but never with silver or steel. Refrigerate it, but never freeze it. And, although some other fish roe may be called caviar, true caviar is from sturgeon.
Be bold! Serve your American caviar with California sparkling wine or with French vodka. Schramsber’s Blanc de Blanc, or my friend Eva Hamilton Clark’s favorite, Roederer Estate Brut, Anderson Valley, NV, are just perfect, but why not Grey Goose, distilled in Cognac? Or even better, Teton Glacier Idaho Potato Vodka.
