How much caviar per person? A serving-size guide

The right amount depends less on the number of guests than on the role caviar plays. A spoonful on a blini at a party of forty is a very different plan from a tin shared by two. Start from the occasion, then round up to the nearest tin.

Grams per person, by occasion

How you serve it	Per person	What that looks like
Garnish on a dish (eggs, pasta, a crudo)	5–10 g	One or two small spoonfuls on top
Cocktail party, on canapés	10–15 g	Two or three canapés each
Tasting or first course	15–30 g	A small mound with blini and crème fraîche
Caviar is the main event	about 50 g	A tin shared by two, eaten by the spoonful

A level teaspoon of caviar weighs roughly 4 to 5 grams. A generous canapé takes about that much; a lighter one, half. A caviar bump on the back of the hand is usually a gram or two.

Which tin for how many guests

These numbers assume a tasting at 15 to 30 grams per person. For a cocktail party, you can serve roughly twice as many people from the same tin.

Guests	Light (15 g each)	Generous (30 g each)
1–2	30 g	50 g
4	50 g + 30 g, or 125 g	125 g
6	125 g	250 g
8	125 g	250 g
10–12	250 g	250 g + 125 g
16	250 g	500 g
20–30	500 g	500 g + 250 g, or two 500 g

For a party of 40 serving canapés at 10 to 15 grams a head, a 500 gram tin is the right size.

What it costs per person

Our Imperial Ossetra is $1.50 a gram in every size, so the cost per guest is simple arithmetic:

• 10 g, a cocktail-party portion: $15
• 15 g, a light tasting: $22.50
• 30 g, a generous tasting: $45
• 50 g, caviar as the meal: $75

Because the price per gram is the same in every tin, two smaller tins cost exactly what one larger tin does. That matters for the next point.

Open only what you will eat

Fresh, unpasteurized caviar is at its best right after the tin is opened, and you should enjoy it within 48 hours. So for a long evening or a weekend, two tins are often better than one. Open the first, keep the second sealed and cold, and open it only if you need it. A sealed tin keeps far better than an open one. See how to serve caviar for keeping it cold on the table.

How to make a tin go further

• Serve it on something. Blini, toast points, thin potato slices or plain kettle chips carry the caviar and slow everyone down. Our guide to bread for caviar has the classics.
• Use crème fraîche. A small dollop under each spoonful adds richness without hiding the flavor.
• Plate it, don't put out the tin. A host spooning portions serves far more people than a tin passed around the table.
• Go small on the spoon. A small mother-of-pearl spoon sets the pace. See the guide to caviar spoons.

Grams and ounces

Caviar is sold by weight, and tins are labeled in grams, ounces or both. One ounce is about 28 grams.

Tin	Ounces	Serves, as a tasting
30 g	1 oz	1–2
50 g	1.8 oz	2–3
125 g	4.4 oz	4–8
250 g	8.8 oz	8–16
500 g	17.6 oz	16–30

Common questions

Is 1 ounce of caviar enough for two people?

For a first taste, yes. An ounce is about 28 grams, so two people get roughly 14 grams each, a few good spoonfuls. If caviar is the evening rather than a starter, two people will happily finish 50 grams or more.

How much caviar for a party of 20?

If it is passed on canapés, 200 to 300 grams, so a 250 gram tin. If it is served as a tasting station, 300 to 600 grams: a 500 gram tin, plus a 125 gram tin if your crowd is generous.

How many blini do I need?

Plan two or three per person at a party and four to six per person at a tasting. Blini are cheap, so make more than you think.

Can I save leftover caviar?

Press plastic wrap onto the surface, put the lid back on and keep it in the coldest part of the fridge. Enjoy it within 48 hours of opening. Don't freeze fresh caviar; the pearls soften and lose their pop when they thaw.

Opus Caviar delivers Imperial Ossetra the same day, by courier on ice, across the South Bay. Choose your tin, or see where we deliver.