Caviar: A Primer

"Everything you need to know to be an expert on this creamy delicacy – including why you should eat “bumps” of the briny good stuff off the back of your hand.

No food embodies decadence more than caviar. There are close premium contenders of course, such as truffle, which is shaved and grated so liberally over dishes it often obscures what’s underneath. Same with champagne – racing-car drivers spray it from podiums by the bottle. Caviar, on the other hand, is consumed only by the tiny spoonful.

But what exactly makes these miniature fish eggs so beloved, whether they’re garnishing a delicate egg custard, spread on a little toast wedge or spooned directly into your mouth?

“Caviar is the salted roe of [female] sturgeon fish discovered in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea,” says Simon Friend, the director and co-founder of Australian importer Friend & Burrell, which supplies specialty ingredients such as caviar and truffles to Melbourne restaurants including Ides, Vue de Monde, Estelle and Anchovy."

- Tristan Lutze, Broadsheet