I grew up in a family that regularly ate seafood, but other than a brief phase of liking lobster when I was 5, it never appealed to me. No matter how it was prepared, something about the look, smell, and texture of fish and shellfish always made me queasy. But my feelings toward seafood changed two years ago when I tried caviar at a dinner party. I put a tiny spoonful on a potato chip, took a bite, and fell in love. It didn’t smell funky, it didn’t have a fishy taste—just nice and salty. This was the kind of seafood I could get behind.
The only problem is that caviar can be costly and the quality varies by brand. In fact, I bought a few tins from a popular producer to serve last Christmas, and though it was beautifully packaged and reasonably priced, the eggs tasted more fishy than briny. I couldn't afford to gamble over $100 each time I craved the salty snack, I decided, and so I shelved my caviar hobby before it really began.
This year, though, I discovered Cavi, a direct-to-consumer brand that aims to make caviar affordable and approachable. I had the opportunity to try Cavi’s Kaluga Hybrid Caviar ($89 for 30 grams) and Osetra Caviar ($98 for 30 grams), and both were so delicious I think I could eat them every single day.
The caviar shipped overnight with freezer packs to keep it at its proper temperature. Besides the two small glass jars of caviar, the package included a key for popping the brightly colored lids and a mother-of-pearl spoon for serving. As a brand, Cavi’s attitude toward caviar consumption is, let’s say, intentionally laid-back. Its website and Instagram recommend pairing it with McDonald’s hash browns and Taco Bell, but I didn’t go that far. Instead, I added it to scrambled eggs, English muffins, potato chips, baked potatoes, and air fryer french fries.
The large golden brown Kaluga hybrid pearls had a smooth buttery taste with just the right amount of saltiness—no fishy flavor detected. It added a decadent savoriness to everything I paired it with and was so good on eggs and English muffins that I often ate it for breakfast.
Osetra is the more classic variety of caviar, and Cavi’s version didn’t disappoint. The chestnut brown pearls are slightly smaller than Kaluga and burst with a rich, nutty flavor with each bite. I mostly paired the osetra with potatoes, but I could definitely see it being a good match for fried chicken or even pizza.
Besides Kaluga Hybrid and Osetra, Cavi also offers Salmon Roe ($25 for 50 grams), White Sturgeon ($95 for 30 grams), and Caspian Beluga Hybrid caviar ($189 for 30 grams), all sourced from farms in the Western Pacific and the Caspian Sea. According to a Cavi brand rep, breeding occurs in a lake environment with 90% forest coverage and dissolved oxygen, creating the optimal environment for sturgeons.
So then, how does it keep its prices down? I wondered this, too, and asked the Cavi team. Because Cavi wants its caviar to be accessible to the masses, it takes smaller profit margins so the savings can be passed along to the consumer. The brand was also created by a marketing and creative firm, so they’re able to handle all design work and promotion in-house, keeping production costs low.
Now that I’ve tried Cavi’s caviar, I’ll definitely be ordering it on repeat. It is high-quality and tastes fantastic and there are plenty of options that won’t break my budget. Best of all, it feels luxurious without being too lavish. Though it’s ideal for special occasions, I can also enjoy it with everyday meals and snacks.
If you want to experience Cavi caviar, Kaluga Hybrid and Osetra are a great place to start. They can be purchased separately, or as part of the new Beginner’s Tasting Kit, which also includes Salmon Roe, White Sturgeon Caviar, crème fraîche, potato chips, a tin opener, and a mother-of-pearl spoon, all packaged in a beautiful blue case. While the kit is perfect for sharing, I wouldn’t blame you for keeping it all to yourself.