Caviar Etiquette

Antique flatware for caviar: a rare, individual, sterling caviar spade in the Versailles flatware pattern, a bone caviar spoon, and a sterling handled, horn bowled, caviar server ~ The flavor of caviar is often referred to as an acquired taste, but those who enjoy it say it is “an intense explosion of complex flavors.” Caviar is a delicacy. It is the unfertilized eggs (roe) of sturgeon brined with a salt solution. The brining solution contributes a little to the overall palate, but caviar enthusiasts often savor the luxurious texture and indescribably rich taste of the caviar berries themselves. - Photo by Maura J. Graber, from “Reaching for the Right Fork”

Caviar is most often served as an hors d'oeuvre, heaped on crackers or toast, or spooned into scooped-out new potatoes. It may, however, also be served as a first course, presented in a small dish set in a small bowl of ice, with crusts of bread and a variety of traditional accompaniments, such as grated onion, sieved egg, and capers. 

A gentleman remembers that caviar is salty and that a little goes a long way. He uses his napkin carefully because black fish eggs can make an ugly stain on the front of his dress shirt. — From “A Gentleman at the Table,” — From “A Gentleman at the Table,” John Bridges and Bryan Curtis, 2004

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia