» Black River Caviar

Highlights from San Francisco NASFT Fancy Food Show

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:13 +0000

I’ve been attending the NASFT Fancy Food Show since I was a child. My great Uncle was in the candy business (we called it the candy show back then) and always got my family in for a day of total indulgence!

Now, we attend the Fancy Food Show with a different agenda. Though I always enjoy checking out all the new products in every category, my focus is finding new products to offer our clients.

Many of the wonderful products shown at the Fancy Food Show don’t really fit our product line of luxury and French foods; however, there were a few worth considering.

More Than Gourmet offers high quality stock and demi-glace that assists chefs and home cooks in making delicious sauces. Stocks are available in veal, venison, lamb, chicken, turkey, duck, seafood, vegetable and mushroom. Though I frequently make my own stock (even those that take 48 hours), there are times when it would be so convenient to be able to start my sauce with a high quality, ready-made stock that only needs to be reconstituted. From there, I can add my shallots, garlic, wine, or whatever, to make the final sauce. We are waiting for samples, to make sure we like the taste and quality of the stocks and demi-glace, but we are hopeful about this product line!

One of the most innovative products we tasted at the show was a line of savory macaroons. The macaroons were in three flavors, goat cheese, black truffle, and porcini mushroom. These scrumpti0us morsels are not yet on the market, and we hope to be the first to carry them.

Some additional products we might introduce to our line include escargot, marron glace (candied chestnuts), truffle honey, and French chocolate. We’d love to hear from you if you have other ideas or requests!

Somewhat surprisingly, there were no producers of top quality caviar at the show. There were several “affordable” alternatives, but nothing that we thought measured up to the two brands we currently carry, Tsar Nicoulai Caviar and Black River Caviar.

There were more booths than I remember seeing in past years marketing fresh truffle mushrooms and truffle products. Since white truffles are no longer in season, and black truffles are at the height of their season, there were several companies with a basket full of beautiful, fragrant black truffles from the Perigord in France. There were also truffle producers from Oregon and other regions (Oregon truffles are not the same species as Perigord truffles). Though North Carolina has a growing number of farms cultivated the Perigord variety of black truffles, there were no producers at the show from this region.

There were only three or four producers featuring foie gras or foie gras products, most of which we already carry on our site. Notably, Hudson Valley Foie Gras was at the show (they don’t usually exhibit at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, only in New York), serving up fresh seared foie gras, foie gras torchon, duck proscuitto and magret de canard. They were clearly there to not only sample their wonderful products, but also to reach out to the food community regarding the pending legislation in California, banning the sale of foie gras in the state, beginning in July 2012.

One of Hudson Valley Foie Gras’ founders, Izzy, was there collecting signatures from those who wanted to help keep Hudson Valley Foie Gras available in California. Hudson Valley Foie Gras raises their ducks free range, and hand feeds the ducks when it’s time for gavage. The company believes they should be excluded from the ban, based on the measures they have taken to keep the birds healthy, comfortable and stress free.

A general observation about the 2010 San Francisco Fancy Food Show was the large number of gluten free foods being offered. I don’t remember ever seeing so many foods marketed as being gluten free, but this year they were everywhere! As always, there were a host of olive oils, dressings, salsas, chocolate and candy and of course cheese.

We thoroughly enjoyed the show as we always do, and hope to soon be featuring some of the newly found French food and luxury products on our website.

Wall Street Journal covers the Black River Caviar story

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:20:37 +0000

Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal published an article about Black River Caviar’s amazing success story. The article, titled, “Caviar Dreams, In the quest to replicate the richness of wild caviar, one aquaculture farm in Uruguay is perfecting the product”, details how Black River Caviar began.

The business plan was created decades ago, and in 1992 fertilized Siberian sturgeon roe were imported to Uruguay where the sturgeon farm is currently located. It takes at least seven years for sturgeon to produce roe that will be harvested and sold as Black River Caviar. Wild sturgeon roe is known for its depth in flavor and cleanliness, and Black River Caviar set out to produce a caviar product through their innovative aquaculture facility that reproduces the distinct wild roe flavor.

“We call it wild raised,” Black River Caviar CEO Graham Gaspard says. Like cattle that wander the open, but fenced, plains of Montana, these fish lead a replica of real life, following their natural reproductive cycle. “When it’s time to swim upstream to spawn, we increase the water flow in the canals to simulate a return to the river,” Gaspard says.

The Wall Street Journal article describes Black River Caviar’s ossetra caviar as follows: “The buttery globules are firm enough to roll over the palate, each revealing its perfectly round shape, but they dissolve with the slightest pressure into a soft cream with hints of nuts, salt and freshwater.”

Black River Caviar truly produces a remarkable, sustainable osetra caviar. To read the entire article, go to: WSJ.com.

To buy caviar online, please visit our website www.mirepoixusa.com.

Black River Caviar's aquaculture facility in Uruguay

Black River Caviar

Why Black River Caviar produces a remarkable osetra caviar

admin — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:38:25 +0000

http://www.enjoyfoiegras.com/products/caviar.html Learn about Black River Caviar and why their osetra is so good.

Black River Ossetra Malossol Caviar is among the finest caviar in the world. This magnificent ossetra caviar is produced from “wild raised” Siberian sturgeon, originally imported as fertilized roe from Russia in 1995. Light brown to jet black in color, this caviar is large grain, has a fresh, clean, nutty taste, and sweet and creamy finish. Black River Caviar is the premier substitute for wild ossetra sturgeon caviar. The sturgeon are fed an all-natural, organic feed. Black River Caviar’s Russian Caviar Master uses the malossol, or “little salt” method, to enhance the superb flavor of the caviar.

Enjoy caviar by the spoonful, or serve with with a mild base, such as lightly toasted challah bread or blinis. Since household refrigerators are usually too warm for caviar products, we suggest the following for proper storage: place a sealed bag of ice, or a frozen ice pack, on the caviar tin and place it in the coldest part of the refrigerator, usually the back; replenish the ice as it melts. If the coldest part of your refrigerator is under 36 degrees, ice is not necessary.

Why Black River Caviar produces a remarkable osetra caviar

admin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:06:36 +0000

http://www.enjoyfoiegras.com/products/caviar.html Learn about Black River Caviar and why their osetra is so good.

Black River Caviar is the premier substitute for wild ossetra sturgeon caviar. The sturgeon are fed an all-natural, organic feed. Black River Caviar’s Russian Caviar Master uses the malossol, or “little salt” method, to enhance the superb flavor of the caviar.

Tasting Tsar Nicoulai Caviar – Sustainable California Caviar

admin — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:15:10 +0000

Yesterday, while shooting videos for YouTube, I had the chance to taste four Tsar Nicoulai caviar products: TNC Classic Caviar, California Estate Osetra Caviar, Select California Estate Osetra Caviar, and Reserve California Estate Osetra Caviar. It was really interesting to see and taste the differences. While all four types of caviar were very tasty–fresh and creamy, I found that my preference was in the exact order of quality and price. I liked the Reserve California Osetra (Tsar Nicoulai’s top California Osetra product) the most, and the TNC Classic Caviar (Tsar Nicoulai’s most affordable option) the least.

I even did a blind taste test to verify my preferences. Tasting the products out of order and with eyes closed (with the help of my husband), I was able to correctly identify each type of caviar by the firmness of the eggs, size of eggs, and flavor.

Don’t get me wrong. I would be happy to be served any of the four types of caviar. Had I not tasted them side by side with intense concentration, I’m not sure I could have said which was which. And of course, taste is such a personal thing. Someone else might have preferred any of the four over the others.

I’ll try to describe the differences I observed.

TNC Classic Malossol Caviar: The eggs were the least firm of the four types of caviar. The medium sized eggs were dark charcoal in color. I would tend to use this lower-priced product for recipes, versus straight out of the jar… It was perfectly adequate, but not as smooth and defined as the California Estate Osetras.

California Estate Osetra Caviar: This caviar was the most black in color of the four, with egg size about the same as the TNC (medium). Slightly firmer, with a more intense caviar flavor. Very good!

Select California Estate Osetra: The caviar has a larger bead size and a light charcoal color. The eggs were firm, and the flavor wonderful, smooth and creamy. This caviar was noticeably smoother than the first two. A really delicious product.

Reserve California Estate Osetra: The Reserve was definitely my favorite. With the largest bead size, and a light beige/charcoal color (the lightest in color of the four), this caviar is magnificent. It was very smooth and clean. The eggs seemed the most firm and defined and had the most “pop”.

Tsar Nicloulai is a pioneer in the production of sustainable caviar and has done a very fine job of supplying an excellent product, at reasonable prices, without further endangering sturgeon (all wild sturgeon are endangered). I think it’s great that there are a range of products to suit different palates, purposes and budgets. For example, the price of the TNC Classic Caviar is half that of the California Estate Osetra, and one third the price of the Reserve.

There are other sustainable caviar products on the market, including Black River Caviar, a company which imported Siberian sturgeon fertilized roe in 1995 and produces a magnificent ossetra Malossol caviar from sturgeon “wild raised” in Uruguay. The price of Black River Caviar is comparable to Tsar Nicoulai’s premium California Osetra.

If you enjoy caviar, join chefs and connoisseurs around the world who have chosen sustainable caviar as their caviar of choice.

Black River Caviar is Impressive

admin — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 04:49:46 +0000

I learned about the company Black River Caviar on Twitter. I don’t even remember what the post said, but I decided to check out the company. I have been very impressed with Black River Caviar beginning with the first conversation, but after trying a sample of their product, and reading about their production methods, I am even more impressed. Below is the story Black River Caviar tells. I think it’s pretty compelling…

We would like to describe in some detail the principals which set apart our one of a kind farming facilities and allow us to set the standard for a totally new concept: the WILD-RAISED production of caviar.

To date the consumer has known about only two sources of caviar:

1. the Caspian Sea area (Russia and Iran), where caviar is harvested from the wild sturgeon.

2. The other known source is newer and less appetizing: it involves sturgeon being Farm-Raised. This process involves a closed circuit of recirculated waters (99%) in artificial pools or tanks, which require the overused water be treated with filters and chemical products.

From its inception, Black River Caviar sought out the perfect environment within which we knew we could match the quality of wild caviar production.

We have therefore designed all our facilities on our farm in such a way that they are harmoniously adapted to the environment and best utilize the pristine natural habitat that is the Rio Negro – Uruguay.

Our guiding philosophical principal is the recreation of ‘life in the wild’ for the sturgeon: from day one until the moment of our caviar harvesting.

Our facilities are divided into three areas:

1. The Hatchery

2. Baygorria Lake

3. The Raceways System

The imported Russian sturgeon eggs are housed in the Hatchery: an environment which simulates the bottom of the river were Russian sturgeon naturally spawn.

Then, over the next six to nine months, we then do a natural classification – selecting the best young sturgeon to send to the lake. This environment corresponds very closely to that of the Caspian Sea with its slow and natural water streams. Here, in a stress-free environment, our fish are fed special organic feed and allowed to grow in the most healthy and natural way.

At this point all the females are tagged with a special microchip in order for us to literally follow their maturation process with the necessary detail required.

Once the females start to produce their first roe, we move them to the Raceways systems, which again is a perfect simulation of the river delta and its requisite rapids.

This unprecedented system moves about 50 million Gallons through the Raceways each day – constantly guaranteeing that the water is 100% fresh and free-flowing. We therefore have no need for any water recycling, or any kind of water treatments or filters.

The volume of water running through the system guarantees a totally unspoiled environment in which the water is naturally oxygenated when flowing through our cascade system. This system is comprised of 80 concrete raceways, each of 150 meters, and each which we handle individually.

Due to this design we can work with the sturgeon twenty-four hours a day and we are able to change the water speed, quantity and depth of each unit in order to simulate the females’ natural journey up the river.

The continuous exercise the Sturgeon get in this environment – constantly swimming against the fresh water streams – allows our fish to grow and mature in a fashion which ensures a quality akin to their wild counterparts.

Our entire operation is based on ensuring quality sturgeon by creating a uniquely planned environment that mimicks the natural environment allowing for a completely new classification of caviar: not wild and not farm-raised – ours is uniquely WILD-RAISED.