What’s the secret behind good caviar? We ask Singapore’s ‘caviar king’ Benjamin Goh

Which countries produce the best caviar?

Located to the north and south of the Caspian Sea respectively, Russia and Persia (present-day Iran) were one of the first known peoples to produce caviar. Because of this, many associate the production of good quality caviar to these two countries, a belief perpetuated by their historic reputations as master purveyors of caviar. 

However, China now supplies one-third of the world’s caviar, with 54 per cent of global commercial farms located in China. Lower labour and production costs, vast land, and availability of water for large-scale production, together with a rapidly growing middle class, may explain China’s hefty role in the caviar industry today.

What are the conditions needed to produce good caviar? 

Most of the caviar you can buy today is farmed as the catching of wild sturgeon, the world’s most endangered species, is banned in most parts of the world. There are some exceptions though, such as the hackleback sturgeon, which is the only sturgeon legally allowed to be caught in the United States. 

An important factor for caviar production is water temperature, as sturgeon thrives at 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. According to Goh, Caviar Colony’s farms are situated in a high-altitude area in northern Yunnan, with a replenishing supply of cold spring water. The constantly moving water ensures fresher water as pollutants such as sturgeon waste and feed are washed out. Diet is important too. Goh prides himself on Caviar Colony's house-made sturgeon feed, which is free of antibiotics or preservatives.

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Is there a difference in taste between farmed and wild-caught caviar?

It is undeniable that caviar from wild-caught sturgeon has historically been the better choice, but as Goh points out, pollution, overfishing and climate change have turned the tables. “Because of overfishing, there aren't many shrimp or crustaceans for the sturgeon to eat,” Goh says. 

As a result, the controlled environments in caviar farms are now better for ensuring that the sturgeon is raised in the most ideal conditions for consistently high quality caviar.

What makes a good batch of caviar?

“The first thing you see when you open a tin of caviar is that it should look very shiny, like [it has] a layer of wax on top,” Goh says. “The caviar shouldn't have any water oozing out, because that means that heavy antibiotics were used to keep the sturgeon.” And if you think caviar should smell like it tastes, think again. “Besides maybe a faint ocean scent, good caviar shouldn't have any smell,” Goh says.

What’s the best way to enjoy good caviar?

You don’t need a lot to enjoy good quality caviar. “I like to eat it straight from the tin if the caviar is of the highest quality,” Goh says. He confesses to eating it every day as the health benefits of caviar are multifold, with generous omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin content to boost brain health, lower blood pressure, and strengthen the immune system.

If you want to eat it straight from the tin like the caviar king does, it’s best to use a mother-of-pearl spoon as metal spoons could oxidise the caviar. If not, you can enjoy caviar as a garnish—the classic option is topped over crême fraiche on a thin cracker, with an optional sprinkling of chives. 

Why are some types of caviar more expensive than others? 

Some species of sturgeon produce more favourable caviar than others. The most prized variety comes from the Beluga sturgeon, which produces some of the largest pearls of caviar with a superior buttery flavour and texture. Rarer still is caviar made from the roe of the albino Beluga, which produces deluxe gold pearls that stand out from the typical black caviar. The most expensive caviar you can buy, for instance, is Strottarga Bianco gold caviar from the Siberian albino sturgeon at almost $114,000 per kilogram.

Scarcity, of course, underpins the extravagant price of caviar. Apart from overfishing and pollution, it also takes almost a decade for female sturgeons to produce roe (according to Goh, Kaluga sturgeons can take up to 12 years). This raises the cost of keeping sturgeon farms. To manage this, farms are increasingly breeding sturgeon hybrids to raise sturgeon populations and increase product variety. Caviar Colony, for instance, boasts exclusive breeds such as the Kaluga hybrid, a mix of the more prized Kaluga sturgeon and the entry-level Amur sturgeon. 

While caviar is still a luxury, the rise in global production and improvements in farming techniques have brought down prices while ensuring high quality caviar at higher volumes. “If the average sturgeon produces 3 kg of caviar, Caviar Colony produces between 5 to 8 kg of caviar,” Goh says. 

Instead of pushing prices up, Goh wants to make caviar more accessible, and a part of that involves ensuring sustainability. The brand’s replenishing programme, for example, sees some sturgeon above the age of five released back into the Amur river in northeastern China. “We do not want the next generation of people to not even know what a sturgeon looks like,” Goh says.

“Caviar can never be a cheap product. But it should be accessible and not just for the rich and famous,” he continues. Part of that goal involves sharing more about caviar, a food that is still “not very understood”. The goal, of course, is so that everybody can identify and appreciate good caviar like the caviar king does.  

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