69 A Dish Fit for Royalty

When people think of caviar, they think of elegant parties given by wealthy people. Actually, not all caviar is terribly costly; you sometimes find domestic—home-grown—caviar on buffet tables in all-you-can-eat restaurants. But the best kinds of caviar are very expensive indeed.

Caviar are fish eggs. The top variety comes from three kinds of sturgeons found in the Caspian Sea in Russia: beluga, osetra, and sevruga. These fish take between nine and fifteen years to mature and produce eggs. When they do, they generally yield a few pounds of tiny, dark brown or dark gray eggs apiece. The scarcity of caviar and the long time it takes to harvest are what make caviar expensive. One ounce of beluga can cost around $50 to $60 in a retail store.

Why do people eat caviar? Some, naturally, are entranced by anything so expensive. But there are also people who appreciate the taste. Beluga is said to have a creamy, buttery taste. Osetra has a nutty flavor. True fans will eat top-quality caviar by itself on dry toast points; the fat from the eggs will moisten the bread.

If you’ve never tried caviar, you might want to see what an inexpensive type tastes like. Caviar from North American sturgeon costs less than a third as much as the most expensive Russian types. Some people also call salmon eggs caviar. These slightly larger, bright red eggs are the least expensive of all. If you’re in doubt, go to the nearest fish buffet and see if you can sample them there!

69 配得上皇室的菜肴

当人们想到鱼子酱时，会联想到富人举办的高雅派对。实际上，并非所有鱼子酱都贵得离谱；你有时会在自助餐厅的餐台上看到国产（家庭养殖）的鱼子酱。但最好的鱼子酱确实非常昂贵。

鱼子酱是鱼卵。顶级品种来自俄罗斯里海的三种鲟鱼：白鲟、奥西特拉鲟和闪光鲟。这些鱼需要9到15年才能成熟产卵。当它们产卵时，通常每条鱼只能产出几磅细小的深棕色或深灰色鱼卵。鱼子酱的稀缺性以及捕捞所需的漫长时间，正是它价格昂贵的原因。在零售店中，一盎司白鲟鱼子酱的价格约为50到60美元。

人们为什么吃鱼子酱呢？有些人自然会被如此昂贵的东西所吸引。但也有人是欣赏它的味道。据说白鲟鱼子酱有奶油般的黄油味，奥西特拉鲟鱼子酱带有坚果香气。真正的爱好者会将顶级鱼子酱直接放在干吐司片上食用；鱼卵中的脂肪会浸湿面包。

如果你从未尝过鱼子酱，或许可以试试便宜的品种是什么味道。北美鲟鱼鱼子酱的价格还不到最贵的俄罗斯品种的三分之一。有些人也把三文鱼籽称为鱼子酱，这些稍大一点的亮红色鱼卵是最便宜的。如果你不确定，就去最近的海鲜自助餐厅看看能不能品尝一下吧！