At the end of the day, we are all about FLAVOR here at Island Creek.
It is in this eternal quest that we have plunged into our next great fixation—caviar. Truffles and foie gras, tuna toro and kobe beef come to mind as being in the same class of decadent flavor; however, there are few things in this world that can deliver every taste of the rainbow cranked to 11 all at once—salt, umami, butter, brine, nutty, earthy. Top notch caviar is said to be able to contain a whopping 17 discernible flavors and aromas.
Caviar’s greatest shortcoming is probably that it can be intimidating. Like picking a bottle of wine from an extensive list (or, ahem, an oyster off a raw bar menu) the choices can be disorienting and the cost means the stakes are high! Couple this with a history of smuggling, overfishing, environmental degradation, and long opaque supply chains with unscrupulous sales people and why bother!
We’re here to make caviar as easy and enjoyable as possible—all the flavor, none of the confusion. Our promise to you is to be 100% transparent so you can trace these eggs from your table to the source (NB we also promise to sample any/ all caviar we send to you… tough job per usual).
Caviar FAQ
- WHAT IS CAVIAR?
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Caviar is a delicacy consisting of salt-cured fish eggs from the Sturgeon species. Sturgeon are prehistoric fish (older than the dinosaurs and the rivers they swim in!) from the Acipenseridae family. Caviar can only come from sturgeon. If cured fish eggs come from a different fish, it is considered to be roe (such as salmon or paddlefish roe). All caviar is roe, but not all roe is caviar.
- HOW MUCH DO I ORDER?
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30g serves 1-2
100g serves 5-8
250g serves 10-15
1000g serves 20-40 - HOW LONG DOES CAVIAR KEEP?
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The caviar is totally fine if it is unopened for 4-6 weeks from the packing date (located on the bottom of the tin) in the refrigerator. Once opened, caviar should be eaten within 1-2 days. The longer the tin has been opened, the more the caviar degrades in quality so we suggest eating right after the tin has been unsealed – that should be easy.
- HOW DO I STORE MY CAVIAR?
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The caviar tin should be kept as cold as possible. Pull your tin out of the packaging and put it in a bowl filled with ice. Place in the fridge and continue to replenish the ice so that it stays chilled.
- HOW DO I EAT MY CAVIAR?
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While there is no wrong way to eat caviar, our logic is similar to oysters – why disguise something so delicious and unique? Caviar has a whopping 17 discernible flavors and aromas, so go ahead and eat it naked (the caviar, not you, silly). Some simple accompaniments are also okay –a baguette or potato chip, some crème fraiche, and chives. If you happen to order oysters along with your caviar (we hope you did), add some beads on top of the just-shucked oyster; the well-balanced flavors will complement one another. Enjoy!
Pro tip: Serve with a Mother of Pearl, glass or wooden spoon. Metal will alter the flavor of the eggs – don’t use them!
- HOW IS MY CAVIAR SHIPPED?
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We ship using FedEx Overnight service. You will receive tracking the day before your delivery date when we print your label.
