The essential guide to caviar spoons
A caviar spoon is one of the few pieces of tableware that exists for a single food. The reason is simple: the wrong spoon can change how caviar tastes.
Why not metal?
Caviar is delicate and lightly salted. Reactive metals, especially silver, can pick up the salt and add a faint metallic taste, and silver also tarnishes. Stainless steel is less reactive, and many people can't tell the difference, but the tradition of avoiding metal is old, and a non-metal spoon costs little. It is a cheap way to remove any doubt.
A second reason is handling. A smooth, rounded, non-metal spoon is gentler on the pearls, which break easily.
The materials
- Mother-of-pearl. The classic choice. It is smooth, neutral in taste and looks beautiful against dark caviar.
- Bone or horn. Neutral, lightweight and traditional. Hand wash only.
- Wood. Warm and simple, but it can absorb smells. Use a spoon you keep only for caviar.
- Glass or ceramic. Neutral and easy to clean.
- Gold-plated. Gold is non-reactive and has long been used for caviar, but plating can wear. Check that it is fully coated.
- Plastic. Fine in a pinch, and better than metal.
Choosing a spoon
Look for a small, shallow bowl, since you are serving small amounts, and a smooth edge with no seams that can trap or crush pearls. A spoon with a long handle makes it easier to serve from a tin that sits in ice.
Using it
- Keep the tin on ice and open it just before serving.
- Lift a spoonful gently, and don't press or stir.
- Place it on a blini, or on the back of your hand, or taste it from the spoon.
Caring for it
Wash it by hand in warm water right after use, dry it well and store it separately. Don't put mother-of-pearl, bone or wood in the dishwasher.
A good spoon is also a good gift, and it goes well with a first tin. Opus Caviar is opening soon with same-day courier delivery of fresh Kaluga Hybrid caviar across the South Bay. Join the list to be first to order, and see how to serve caviar.