The combination of unfertilized sturgeon eggs and salt is the delicacy known as caviar. See more on what is caviar.

All caviar is roe but not all roe is caviar. Roe refers to any and all unfertilized eggs collected from marine animals. To be qualified as caviar, the roe not only has to be processed correctly but also has to come fromsturgeons. Caviar is the combination of unfertilized sturgeon eggs and salt. See more on the difference between fish roe and caviar.

Fish roe that is from a sturgeon is considered black caviar because the eggs are commonly darker in color. Red,orange, and even yellow fish roe from salmon and trout is known as red caviar despite not actually meeting the traditional definition for caviar. See more on the difference between black caviar and red caviar.

Malossol is a Russian word that literally translates to "little salt". When used to describe caviar, it refers to theidyllic salting process used to increase the shelf life of the highly perishable fish roe. Most caviar and roes, regardless of quality, are cured to the model of the malossol process. See more on what is malossol.

There are three common ways in which caviar is initially processed to increase its shelf life. The highest quality method is the malossol process. Caviar that would typically be cured as malossol, but is second in quality due to overly ripe, soft or damaged eggs typically becomes pressed caviar. A step down from that is the semi-preserved or “salted” caviar which contains a much higher salt content to increase the product’s shelf stableness. Pasteurizedcaviar keeps for significantly longer than non-pasteurized caviar but the taste and texture can be negatively affected. See more on caviar preservation methods.

It is not easy to explain, evencaviar from the same species of fish can taste different based on a number of factors. The taste of most black caviar is commonly interpreted with similar descriptions as a breath of the sea, atouch of salt, the delicate flavor of fresh fish, sometimes smooth and nutty, full of sweet brine that pops in your mouth and fills your nose, and like good raw oysters but richer. See more on what caviar tastes like.

Caviar substitutes/salted non-sturgeon fish roes usually have a less unique flavor than caviar, often describedas more salty and fish flavored than roe from a sturgeon. See more on how the taste of caviar substitutes compare to real caviar.

In most instances, black caviar starts with a delicately firm texture that is transformed into a smooth and creamy, almost butter-like consistency, as it melts in your mouth. The eggs of red caviar are larger than black caviar and usually very firm.  Red caviar eggs burst with an audible “pop” between the tongue and roof of yourmouth, releasing the lightly flavorful juice which was once protected by the outer shell. See more on the texture of caviar and fish roe.

A container of Non-pasteurized malossol caviar when unopened and properly refrigerated will last anywherefrom two to four weeks. Once the container is opened it will only last about three days. If that same container of caviar is pasteurized or frozen, it can last a year as long as it remains sealed. See more on how long caviar lasts.

The cost of a type of caviar is directly related to its rarity, along with the amount of time and resources required to produce it. See more on why caviar is expensive.

Fish roe is cheaper because the non-sturgeon fish harvested for their eggs usually are far more populous,require fewer resources to produce, and face less government regulation than sturgeon. See more on why fish roe is cheaper than caviar.

The quality of caviar is graded based on a set of factors in which the scorer must answer a series of questions about the product to determine whether the caviar is Grade 1 or Grade 2. The 9 factors that caviar is graded onare egg size, egg color, egg firmness, egg lucidity, egg uniformity, egg separation, egg fragrance, egg taste, and egg maturity. See more on how caviar is graded and the factors that change the rating.

These names are used by caviar producers to further grade their product, mostly based on their standards for the size and color of the caviar beads/grains. The lowest of the grades is "Select", which is slightly below premium standard, “Classic” and is given to product that meets the average egg color and bead size for caviar from that species. “Royal” is the next step up and will typically be lighter in color or have larger grains than “Classic” caviar. The rarest and most expensive grade for atype of caviar is “Imperial” which is reserved for product with the largest eggs and lightest color. See more on the difference between classic, royal and imperial caviar.

Yes, eating caviar can have numerous benefits to your health. The roe of a fish has up to three times the amount of Omega 3's than the meat or the skin, so caviar is a superfood for your brain, skin, hair, overall heart health. One serving of caviar is packed full of protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, and vitamins A, B2, B6, B12, B44, C, and D. Caviar is alsoknown to contain a variety of essential amino acids such as lysine, arginine, isoleucine, methionine and histidine. See more on the nutrition of caviar.

The shelf life of a vacuum sealed container of caviar is commonly between 4 and 6 weeks at a temperature of 26° to 38° F. See more on how long caviar lasts.

For the best possible quality, all caviar should be consumed within 7 days of opening. Depending on the type there can be fluctuations in how long it might last. Caviar should hardly smell, so if there's any off or strong smell after a few days of opening, throw it out! See more on how long caviar stays good after opening.

Both instances would require a refrigerator at a temperature of 26° to 38° F for fresh caviar. After opening thecontainer, the lid should be put back on to limit air exposure during re-storing. After the seal is broken, we suggest enjoying within 5-7 days. See more on what's the best way to store caviar.

Yes, you can freeze your roes to extend the shelf life to about a year. However, caviar will have less flavor and a softer texture. It is not recommended for fine sturgeon caviar. See more on freezing caviar.

You can purchase one of our specialized caviar keys for easiest opening. However, something like a butter knife, screwdriver or church-key bottle opener is another easy way toopen your caviar jars or tin containers. Apply pressure under the lip of the lid to break the seal and pop open your container. See more on how to open caviar jars and tins.

We use bubble wrap to protect the caviar containers from damage and packed in insulated boxes with gel ice to keep the product under temperature for up to 48 hours. See more on the best ways to package caviar.

Orders for perishable items received by 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Thursday, are processed and shipped the same-day unless a later ship date is requested. Holiday shipping surges might cause the cut-off time to be earlier* we recommend ordering at least 2 days in advance of desired date in case of unforeseen shipping delay. See more on caviar shipping.

If you order enough caviar/perishable products to qualify for free shipping, then it will be sent overnight for next day delivery. See more on caviar shipping.

Yes, every order must have only one delivery address and therefore one shipping charge. There is no way to combine shipments unless they are going to the same address. See more on caviar shipping.

You can choose your delivery date and shipment speed at checkout. The more you spend the larger a discount you get on shipping charges. Spend $500+, receive free shipping. All perishables must ship next-day or 2nd-day air. If you choose 2nd day to reduce shipping cost and there is a delay causing spoilage, we are not responsible for the replacement. See more on caviar shipping.

Yes, standard Overnight AK and HI shipping will have an additional surcharge, all prices are direct from UPS with our company volume discounts. See more on caviar shipping.

We can ship most products overseas, the only exception being sturgeon and paddlefish caviar since they are protected species and require CITES documentation to export. See more on caviar shipping.

If you are located in North or South Carolina, then yes, using the Ground service will normally get your caviar to you the next day but it is not guaranteed. See more on caviar shipping.

We will do our best to let you know of the delay the day of, contact the shipper to expedite and get an ETA, and file any necessary claims for delayed or failed delivery. If your package must be signed for and you missed the 1st delivery, they will attempt again the next day. You can also contact the courier or local station to retrieve your perishables if it's getting close to 48 hours since the order was shipped, to help prevent perishable spoilage. If your packages arrives over 48 hours after shipment and is not cold, please contact us immediately so we can file a claim with the courier and either refund you or send a replacement shipment. See more on caviar shipping.

Contact us! If we want the product returned we will send you a return label. If the product is perishable, re-freeze the gel ice and send it back in the original insulated box. If the product was ordered by customer's mistake then shipping will not be refunded. See more on caviar shipping and returns.

No, not util we can confirm that it isn't needed for evidence of the claim. It is always a good idea to take a picture of any product that arrives damaged and notify us of any issue as soon as possible (within 24 hours). See more on caviar shipping and returns.

Choose the desired date on the calendar at checkout. OR leave us an order comment in the "comment" section of the checkout page with the desired ship or deliverydate. See more on how to help with checkout.

After completing checkout you should receive an email from Caviar Star confirming that your order has been paid for and is being processed. See more on how to help with checkout.

This is most likely because your order had different billing and shipping addresses and was flagged by our fraud protection. There is nothing you need to worry about though; we will manually validate your order and change thestatus. You may be contacted for verification. If we did not completely answer your question or you need more assistance, please visit our contact us page.

Leave us the message in the "comment" section of checkout. We will write you message in a card and put it inside their package free of charge. If we did not completely answer your question or if you need more assistance, please visit our contact us page.