Caviar grades explained

Grade is about the pearl, not the fish

Within the same roe, from the same producer, tins get separated by the quality of the pearls themselves — size, uniformity, firmness and colour. That is grading. It does not make one tin "real" and another "fake"; both are the same sturgeon.

We keep it to two grades so the difference stays meaningful:

• Classic — the standard tin. Everything that should be there, at the sensible price.
• Premium — the top grade of the same roe: larger, hand-selected pearls with a longer finish.

Premium costs more because fewer pearls in a batch qualify, not because it comes from somewhere else. If you are buying a small tin for a first taste, spending the extra on Premium is usually more noticeable than buying twice as much Classic.

The four sturgeons, and how they differ

Beluga — Huso huso

The pinnacle, and the name everyone knows. Large glossy pearls, a creamy body and a long, refined finish. It is the most expensive tin we sell for a reason: the fish takes the longest to mature. See Beluga prices.

Russian Sturgeon — Acipenser gueldenstaedtii

The crowd-pleaser. Soft texture, mild aroma, sweet hazelnut highlights and a brilliant brown tinge. If you are feeding a table with mixed tastes, this is the safe and very good answer. See Russian Sturgeon prices.

Bester — Huso huso × A. ruthenus

A refined Beluga–Sterlet hybrid: complex, buttery, nutty, with a long aftertaste. It carries a lot of the Beluga character at a friendlier price, which makes it the value pick of the range. See Bester prices.

Sterlet — Acipenser ruthenus

Delicate small pearls, a clean pure taste and a tender consistency. The gentle way in, and the tin we most often recommend for a first taste. See Sterlet prices.

What the label does not tell you

Grade and species say nothing about how the tin has been treated since it left the producer. That is where most disappointing caviar goes wrong — not in the grading, but in a broken cold chain. Roe that has been frozen and thawed, or left warm in transit, loses the firm pop no matter what the label says.

Ours is held between −2 °C and −4 °C, never frozen, and packed cold for the trip. How we deliver it.

Tins or jars?

Beluga and Russian Sturgeon Premium also come in 28 g and 50 g jars. The contents are the same grade as the tin; the jar simply keeps better once it is in your fridge and presents far better as a gift.

So which grade should you buy?

• First tin, no reference point — Sterlet or Bester Classic, 10 g or 30 g.
• Feeding guests — Russian Sturgeon Classic 50 g.
• An occasion — Beluga Premium, or a Russian Sturgeon Premium jar as a gift.

Next: what caviar should cost in South Africa, or how to serve it once it arrives.