How to choose red caviar?

August 21, 2025

Red caviar is a very tasty and healthy delicacy. However, as with any food product, quality can vary. Let's take a look at how to choose red caviar: What should you know about the product? What criteria should you follow? How do you spot a fake?

Types of red caviar

Red caviar differs in the color and size of the eggs:

Chinook (King salmon) – red-orange, very large eggs (7–9 mm). With a delicate shell and a slightly spicy taste.
Keta (Chum salmon) – large, bright amber eggs (5–7 mm). With a firm shell and a creamy taste.
Gorbuscha (Pink salmon) – bright orange, medium-sized eggs (3–5 mm). With a soft shell and a mild taste.
Coho salmon – bright red, small eggs (2–3 mm). With a firm shell and a slightly bitter taste.
Sockeye salmon – dark red, small eggs. With a firm shell and a hint of bitterness.
Trout – light orange, very small eggs (up to 2 mm). With a firm shell and a slightly bitter aftertaste.

For a detailed taste comparison of these varieties, see which salmon roe is tastier.

The best red caviar – how to identify it?

There are a few recommendations on how to recognize good caviar just by looking at the packaging:

Pay attention to the production and packaging date. The difference should be no more than 6 months.

Hold the jar up to the light. Make sure there are no burst eggs.

Cloudy eggs are considered low quality. If the caviar is labeled "Grade 1," the eggs must be intact and elastic, without membranes or traces of blood. The optimal salt content is 3–3.5%.

Check the barcode. It should be registered specifically to that brand and correspond to the product.

Look closely at the list of ingredients. It should include salt and sorbic acid. Caviar must be stored in the refrigerator. Make sure the storage temperature does not exceed -4 °C.

Quality control for caviar in metal tins is more difficult than in glass jars. Therefore, glass packaging should be preferred. Otherwise, there is a risk of a fake. When shaken, a tin can should not make any sloshing sounds.

If buying loose caviar, it should be purchased in the first months after the fishing season (September–October). Later, preserved caviar is preferable. Due to additives and dyes, it is difficult to objectively assess the quality of loose goods. However, you can test the smell: fresh caviar has a pleasant fishy smell; if this smell is missing, it is frozen goods; a strong, unpleasant smell indicates spoiled caviar.

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