"national caviar day" news and stories

Happy National Caviar Day!

Said British actor Noel Coward, "Wit ought to be a glorious treat like caviar; never spread it around like marmelade." Perhaps only rivaled by Champagne in its perceived opulence, caviar was once a cheap resource in the United States due to the abundance of sturgeon and in the late 1800s, and was even served for free in saloons to pique thirst among patrons. However, after the boom nearly rendered the American supply extinct, prices sky-rocketed to their current elevated prices.

Today, sturgeon is still considered the premium source of caviar, which has three main types: osetra, sevruga and beluga. The most prized (read: pricy!) caviar these days comes from the Caspian Sea and is typically imported from Russia, but lumpfish caviar, whitefish caviar and salmon caviar are also prominent. Once reserved for royalty, caviar is typically served untouched, accompanied lemon wedges and toast points as well as by ice vodka or Champagne drinks.

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Well, here's a holiday I won't be celebrating.

Today is National Caviar Day. I know that caviar doesn't have to be just for rich people anymore, but I can't help but think that they're the only people who will celebrate this day -- riding around in limos, wearing their tuxedos and tiaras, eating Beluga caviar and lighting their cigars with burning ten dollar bills (sorry, I get all my knowledge of wealthy people from old TV shows and Richie Rich comic books).

Or maybe this is the day when the rest of us can try caviar for the first time. And by "us," I mean "you," because there is no way I'm trying fish eggs. Maybe you can try that recipe in the pic above. It's a Swedish favorite, a sandwich made with hard boiled eggs and cod roe caviar in a tube.