Caviars have been considered an extreme luxury for thousands of years. And, as everyone knows, they have carried a correspondingly expensive price. Until Imperia, that price has kept caviar consumption in very restricted channels and well away from most people.
Our view is radically different. We believe in ethical production, superior quality, affordable pricing, and easy delivery to your doorstep. Whether in New York or Los Angeles or Boise, we can deliver the world’s best caviar at a fair price to your table.
Before Imperia, most people had only seen caviar in Hollywood photos or films. As famous as it is, most people have never tasted caviar. Caviar's rarity has had a meaningful impact on price and production. In contrast, we are all about meticulous, sustainable production and fair-pricing caviar.
Imperia Caviar is certainly for special occasions. Equally, we have intentionally priced our superior caviar collections to allow everyday celebrations.
What is Caviar?
Caviar describes fish eggs, also known as roe. According to the FDA, true caviar is made only from sturgeon eggs. There are approximately 29 species of sturgeon. All belong to the family Acipenseridae. True caviar is highly prized, and is generally agreed upon as one of the finest foods in the world. Acipenseridae have been around since the Triassic period. It is not an exaggeration to say the Imperia Caviar we hope you are about to enjoy has taken more than 200 million years of evolution to get to you!
There are other forms of fish eggs from species such as American Paddlefish and salmon. Even though people eat them, these are not true caviar. In the main, they are fishy without offering the same complex and delicate flavours. With Imperia fair-pricing true caviar, there is no reason to substitute with lesser products.
Truffle caviar is made from the black winter truffle and creates a product that looks just like caviar but with the taste of truffle - a truly unique combination!
What Is Malossol?
True caviar was first harvested from wild sturgeon found in the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. Historically, Beluga sturgeon and Osetra sturgeon eggs were prepared by minimal processing with the perfect addition of salt to preserve the special flavours. This technique is known in Russia as "malossol" which translates as "little salt" and is justifiably world famous. Imperia’s Royal Ossetra and Kaluga Hybrid Reserve (“River Beluga”) are absolutely delicious!
Importing Beluga Caviar To The USA Is Illegal!
Importation of Beluga caviar into the United States is illegal. The practice of unethically harvesting Beluga was exposed and a number of studies predict the critical depletion of sturgeon populations in the Caspian Sea. Ultimately, Beluga importation was prohibited in 2005. Obviously, we oppose overfishing. Our hatcheries are very much on the other side of that issue - we are without exception sustainable and ecologically sensitive.
The purpose of banning Beluga imports to the United States is to rebuild Caspian Sea sturgeon populations. While we are not certain this approach is sufficient, we definitely support the effort. You can do the same by purchasing caviar only from a trusted source. By economically supporting sustainable superior farm raised product, your purchases are both legal and do not contribute to the annihilation of an endangered species.
Imperia Kaluga Hybrid Reserve is the best legally importable caviar in the United States with a taste and mouth experience comparable to Beluga.
Imperia Sources Our Sturgeon Caviar Sustainably
We source all Imperia Caviar from our sustainable, eco-friendly hatcheries. That means we do not damage wild sturgeon populations. While female sturgeon produce eggs not infrequently during their lifetime, Grade A+ roe can usually be harvested but once in a lifetime. The entire farming process can take between ten and twenty years, which means that even on the biggest farms the process takes time. The average Imperia sturgeon produces between 2.2 and 4.5 lbs of caviar. To manage this properly, Imperia works with gorgeous, wild-like hatcheries, with exquisite waters and just the right environment. To our palate, we curate the world's best types of caviar.
Imperia Democratizes Caviar Pricing
It is no secret that Caviar has been extremely expensive. It has been treated as a scarce and rare resource and producers have charged whatever the market would bear. In that way, social excitement has historically been generated through exclusivity.
We hold a genuinely different view. Our thought is that the retail price of caviar can and must go down. We think that companies charging high prices for caviar are, quite possibly, tone-deaf. The main thing to us is the spectacular taste. It is taste, not tuxedos or evening gowns, that brings us back to top grade sturgeon caviar again and again. We think you can tell the difference between gorgeous caviar at unnecessarily inflated price vs a fair deal. (Hint, Imperia is an uncompromising red Ferrari at a high-quality Honda price).
What Are Imperia’s Core Principles?
Our principles are sustainable and ethical caviar production, premium quality, rational pricing and superior distribution. Caviar is and always has been a delicacy. Today Imperia Caviar can be enjoyed by many people. Your purchasing decisions leaning toward ethical production and harvesting control the caviar food chain.
Caviars In High Demand
While caviar is a luxury that is not a staple of anybody's diet, it is in high demand globally. The econometric characteristics of high demand coupled with restricted supply impact price. Imperia aims to break the high-price caviar monopoly with magnificent caviars at affordable prices. It is simply the right thing to do.
Does Fair Caviar Pricing Mean Lower Quality?
Definitely not! While caviar is undeniably a premium food, pricing is not really related to quality. When you buy caviar from a reputable source, you ensure receipt of the real deal at the best price. You should expect to pay around $40 per ounce for Royal Osetra or for our Kaluga Hybrid Reserve. That compares very favorably to others who can charge 10 times as much! Caviar prices fluctuate so it is best to check our shop directly.
Less expensive caviar does not mean poorer quality caviar, nor does higher cost mean better quality. Imperia fish are raised in the efficient conditions and enjoy the highest quality of life. This shows up in the quality and taste of our product well as our accessible pricing. Of course, the "best caviar" depends on your personal taste. Some prefer Kaluga over Osetra, others Osetra over Kaluga… beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder.
By the way, the most expensive caviar in the world is said to come from the rarest sturgeon of them all - the albino Beluga sturgeon. This caviar costs around $40,000 per KG. That’s likely something you will not see on the Imperia product list yet! At least not before we bring down the price by a huge margin.
How do You Eat Imperia Caviar?
There are many ways to eat caviar that allow you to fully enjoy its sweet, buttery, and nutty flavor. Caviar connoisseurs recommend that you first try a small, plain spoonful. Don’t chew the roe. Let them roll around in your mouth to experience the intense flavour.
When it comes to serving Imperia caviars, please use a spoon constructed of an inert material like mother of pearl (in a pinch wood or plastic). Metal seems to compromise taste.
Caviar served with blinis and creme fraiche is a popular Russian delicacy. This is one of the most common ways you will find caviar served. You can pair Imperia with whatever suits your palate. However, at least at first, we suggest trying tried-and-tested caviar recipes that will not compromise or mask the underlying complex flavours.
Enjoy! We want to be your family friend in the caviar business.