Caviar types

Beluga caviar is made from the roe of the European house sturgeon (Huso huso). This sturgeon, which is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, can grow to over eight metres in length and reach a weight of one and a half tonnes

Breeding beluga sturgeon is an extremely lengthy task, as it takes an average of 15 years before the first caviar is harvested. In order not to damage the delicate sturgeon roe, one has to proceed very carefully in a complex processing procedure.

With a diameter of 3.5 mm, the light grey and anthracite-coloured roes have the largest grain size of their kind. The pearls have a very thin, delicate skin, which contributes to the extremely mild and creamy taste of Beluga caviar.

The caviar variety: Osietra caviar
(A. gueldenstaedtii)

Osietra caviar, as the name suggests, comes from the Osietra sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), also called Russian sturgeon. These fish can grow to over 2 metres in size and occur naturally in the Caspian Sea, Black Sea and Sea of Azov, as well as the tributaries of the Danube to Don. This sturgeon species is of great importance for the Russian caviar industry.

The Siberian caviar originates from the Siberian sturgeon fish (Acipenser baerii). The Siberian sturgeon, which becomes sexually mature at about 8 years of age, reaches a body size of 80 cm to about 140 cm and an average total weight of about 20 kg. It is originally found in Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia and lives in all rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean. The anthracite to black-coloured roe of the Siberian sturgeon is on average 1.5 to 2.5 mm in size. Siberian caviar stands out above all for its spicy aroma and rather strong flavour.

The caviar variety: Sevruga Caviar

This caviar is made from the roe of the Sevruga sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus).  The sturgeon, also known in German as Sternhausen (although the Sevruga is not related to the Hausen, Huso Huso) or Scherg, is notable for its elongated body shape. However, with a size of up to 220 cm, the Sevruga sturgeon weighs a maximum of only around 68 kg. Its natural habitat is the Black Sea, Sea of Azov and Caspian Sea, as well as their tributaries. The roe of the Sevruga has a diameter of only 2 mm and is very sensitive due to its very thin shell. The colour of Sevruga caviar can vary in different shades of grey. The aromas are strong, spicy and are often described as “sea flavour”.

Shah caviar (also “Shah caviar”), the yellow sturgeon caviar, was once probably one of the most expensive foods in the world as wild caviar with a price per kilo of 15,000 to 33,000 euros. However, this was less due to an elaborate production process than to the albino sturgeons themselves. After all, sturgeon with pigment disorders only occur extremely rarely in nature. Since Shah caviar does not come from a specific sturgeon species, Shah caviar is not, strictly speaking, a separate type of caviar. The amount mentioned above can be explained by the fact that in the past, only about 10 kg of this rare delicacy was produced annually when caught in the wild. This very limited supply was also the reason that drove the price of Shah caviar so high. In the meantime, albino sturgeon can be successfully bred, and their caviar can therefore be offered at a lower price, but Shah caviar is still an exquisite and rare speciality.

Enjoy the exclusive Shah Caviar Royal Premium Gold, which you can order quickly and easily in our online shop.

A particularly exclusive caviar speciality is colour-selected caviar. The freshly harvested sturgeon roe is carefully sorted. Only eggs with the right colour are processed into these special caviars. The best-known caviar selections are Royal Black Caviar, Imperial Caviar and Almas Caviar.

Royal-Black-Caviar

Royal black caviar is caviar in which the deep black grains are specially selected. Royal Caviar has the Royal Black Caviar on offer for you.