Is Caviar a scam?

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.

MY FAVORITE KITCHEN GEAR

📚 Videos & Sources mentioned:
On Food & Cooking by Harold McGee - pgs 239-242

⏱ 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?

MISC. DETAILS
Music: Provided by Epidemic Sound
Filmed on: Sony a6600 & Sony A7C
Voice recorded on Shure MV7
Edited in: Premiere Pro

Affiliate Disclosure:

[AndreiJikh]

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!

[Flat]

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

[GatorAidMedical]

Caviar is just pop rocks for rich people

[mmkrk]

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.

[tocov]

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.

[morenofranco]

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.

[hblack]

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.

[michaelfujii]

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.

[ecenbt]

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

[zivagoldman]

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!

[sablesoul]

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.

[deim]

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.

[SpaceSwimmer]

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

[DylanWhelpton]

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.

[VladimirGorev]

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.

[IQmates]

For an international channel, it’s surprising to see you don’t add metric units to measurements.

[deadfrg]

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.

[TohirT]

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.

[ChefChrisDay]

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!

[iamsmashy]

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