Iranian Caviar

Whether you are a solid connoisseur or a caviar discoverer,
Hediard's reputation guarantees fine origins and premium selections.
The name alone is a symbol of luxury and delight. Its tiny grey pearls make the guest’s eyes sparkling. One tastes it “like a sea candy, filled with iodine and powdered with mystery” (Robert COURTELINE).

As mentioned by the French writer Alfred de MUSSET, everything starts in the Caspian sea , between Iran and Russia, “when the grisly sturgeon floats off on its back the seas blue coat and stares silently at the nights heavenly body.”

The sturgeon is one of the oldest fish in the world. The average twenty species which are still alive, essentially in the North hemisphere, are not very far from their ancestors which filled up the seas around 300 millions year ago.
But only 3 varieties of sturgeons are considered worthy of giving caviar: the BELUGA, the OSCIETRE and the SEVRUGA. The most noble of them grow in the meridional part of the Caspian sea, on the Iranian shores, longer than 700 kms. There, the waters are clear, free of any pollution.

The Iranian caviar is currently considered as the best in the world.
In Iran, the sturgeon fishing is still a traditional practice and it is this ancestral fishing technique which is mainly responsible for the caviar quality.

Fishing starts at dawn. Fishing nets were dropped during the night out at sea; the size of their mesh varies with the season, the region and the type of sturgeon. The 3 men on board the fishing boat never carry more than 2 or 3 fishes at once. They quickly lay them down on the back to avoid squashing the eggs and they bring them back to the fishery.

In the fishery, the sturgeons are cleaned with a jet of water and their abdomen is opened to take out the caviar. The caviar eggs are then strained and the “Sturgeon master” studies carefully their firmness, size and color and will decide to classify them as a first or a second quality.
He then proceeds to one of the most delicate operations: the preservation salting. He Then fills in delicately round metallic cans of 1.8 Kg. It is only 2 hours between the moment the sturgeon was out of the water and the caviar put in the can.
Other quality criteria: eggs coming from 2 different fishes are never mixed together. When there is not enough caviar to fill in one can of 1.8 Kg, it is kept aside for the Iranian market only.

Since 1952, the SHILAT Company controls the entire production and distribution lines of the Iranian caviar. It guaranties its course and quality. It is at this time that the close relations between HEDIARD subsidiary ANZALI (first European Importer of Iranian caviar) and the managers of SHILAT are essential and give to HEDIARD the opportunity to be the first and the best served.
The importation is also controlled by the CITES Organism who guaranties the protection of endangered species.

The caviars chosen by our subsidiary ANZALI reach HEDIARD in perfectly fresh and hygienic conditions.
Beluga, Sevruga, Oscietre, Oscietre Royal, HEDIARD sales people have the ability to advice their Customers following their own preferences and tastes.
The caviar is a very delicate meal and it is crucial to respect some basic rules to taste it the right way. Thus, it shall be served cold but not chilled: the can shall be taken out from the fridge at least twenty minutes before serving it, it shall then be put delicately on a layer of crushed ice. One should avoid killing the taste with lemon, vinegar, onions, or with rye bread. Caviar shall be accompanied with French toasts, French bread, pan-cakes with pure cream, or even better: slices of boiled potatoes. A portion of 50gr shall be planed per person. A polish or Russian vodka, or frozen aquavit, are the best drinks to accompany caviar even if Champagne can also make it. Finally, little flat spoons in gold, mother of pearl or even wood shall be preferred to silver or stainless steel cutlery which can spoil the taste of the caviar.
Festivity can start!

The HEDIARD caviars

Fishermen have nicknamed the Beluga the “elephant-fish”. It is by far the biggest sturgeon. It lives in the open sea and is the only fish-eating sturgeon.
It reaches its maturity by 20 years old. Then he can weight from 500 kg to one ton and contain until 200 kg of caviar! Difficult prey, pugnacious and of a non regular production capacity, it is the rarest and most expensive sturgeon.
The Beluga caviar’s color ranges from steel to light grey, this last one being the most sought after. The size of its grains and delicacy of its skin make it different from other caviars.

The Oscietre is a short snout sturgeon, of a medium size and weight: it weighs between 20 kg (for the smallest ones) to 80 kg and is approximately 1.30 meters long. It can contain close to 15% of its weight of caviar. The color of its eggs ranges from dark to light brown, going through golden color and the metallic grey. The grains are slightly larger than those of the Sevruga and their membrane is firmer. Oscietre caviar has a delicate flavor recalling the subtle taste of hazelnuts.

This variety of caviar comes from a large OSCIETRE
sturgeon measuring approximately 1.50 meters long and weighting between 60 and 80 kg.
When the sturgeon contains nice-sized, golden brown eggs, they are called “Royal”. Royal OSCIETRE has an incomparably delicate taste with a refined hint of hazelnut. Its grains are firm. This is a great caviar.

This is the smallest among the three species of sturgeon. Its long, turned-up nose makes it identifiable at first glance. It weight between 14 and 22 kg. On its own, it supplies half of the caviar production. The color of its eggs ranges from light to anthracite grey. They are surrounded by a very thin membrane. With its full-bodied taste and its very delicate iodized savor, Sevruga is said to be the caviar of the great caviar lovers.

Aquitaine caviar is unique being from South West of France. It is salty enough to reveal nut flavors. The eggs are rather big and the dark grey to gold colored skin is very thin.

Hediard Caviard is available at the Hediard boutique, 125 Tanglin road, Tudor court.

Iranian Caviar is subject to annual fluctuations due to production and political changes in Iran.
Therefore prices may change according to annual quotas from the SHILLAT organization
(governmental organization for caviar in Iran).

Price ranges between S$ 250 and S$ 500 for a 50gr box