If you have never had caviar, start with a mellow one, a small tin and a plain spoon. Royal Siberian is the gentle way in, and the Tasting Set puts three caviars side by side so you can find your own taste.
Caviar for beginners: start with Royal Siberian
Royal Siberian comes from the Siberian sturgeon, Acipenser baerii, one of the two species Attilus has farmed at Jessen, in Germany, since 2008. Its grain is fine, its colour runs from black-grey to black-brown, and its taste is earthy and mellow, with a long aftertaste. Nothing about it is loud, which makes it a good place to learn what caviar tastes like.
It is also the least expensive of our five sturgeon caviars, for a plain reason: the Siberian sturgeon reaches her first harvest sooner than the others, after about 7 to 8 years. At the time of writing (October 2026), a 30 g tin is £31.
Or taste three side by side
The quickest way to find out what you like is to compare. The Tasting Set holds three 30 g tins, of Royal Siberian, Royal Oscietra and Amur Fusion. At the time of writing it is £107.35, 5 per cent less than the same three tins on their own.
- Royal Siberian: fine-grained, earthy and mellow, with a long aftertaste.
- Royal Oscietra, from Acipenser gueldenstaedtii: a firm grain with a slightly nutty flavour and a mellow length; colours from dark grey and dark olive to golden brown.
- Amur Fusion, from Acipenser schrenckii x Huso dauricus: large, very firm beads, balanced and mild; colours from amber brown to olive green.
Taste them in that order, which is the order in which the fish reach their first harvest: Royal Siberian at about 7 to 8 years, Royal Oscietra and Amur Fusion at about 9 to 11. The three tins hold 90 g in all, enough for three people at our standard 30 g each.
Keep Kaluga and Beluga for later
Kaluga, from Huso dauricus, and Beluga, from Huso huso, come from the two slowest of our sturgeon: Kaluga gives her first harvest at 12 years and longer, Beluga at 15 years and longer. Kaluga has large beads and a clean pop, rich and buttery with a slight nutty undertone. Beluga has the largest egg of all, delicate and creamy.
Both are easier to appreciate once you have another caviar to compare them with, and both cost more: at the time of writing, a 30 g tin of Kaluga is £60, and of Beluga £72.
How to taste it
- Keep the tin in the coldest part of the fridge, and take it out about five minutes before you open it.
- Taste the first spoonful plain. Caviar spoons are made of mother-of-pearl, glass or plastic rather than metal, which can alter the taste.
- Let the eggs rest on your tongue, then press them gently against the roof of your mouth.
- Then try it the classic way, on a blini with a little crème fraîche. Keep stronger garnishes, such as onion, capers or lemon, for later: they can overpower the caviar.
Boiled eggs and potatoes are good company too, because they do not get in the way.
How much to order for a first taste
Our standard is 30 g per person when caviar is served as a course or on its own, so two people need 60 g: two 30 g tins, which can be two different caviars. One 30 g tin between two gives each of you a canapé-sized taste of 15 g. Our guide to how much caviar per person has the amounts for any table.
Read the tin
Every Attilus tin carries its CITES code, which names the species, the source, the country, the year, the plant and the lot. How to read the lid explains each part, so you can check that the tin in your hand is the caviar you chose.
Kept sealed between 0 and +4 °C, an Attilus tin keeps for about three to four months from packing; check the best-before date on the tin. Once opened, it is best eaten the same day, and within two days at most.
In this piece: Royal Siberian, the Tasting Set and Attilus blinis.
Words: the Attilus team. Photograph: Timofei Zhbanov (TimmyFoodUK), from the Attilus library; the spoon, the Attilus team.
Questions
Which caviar is best for beginners?
Royal Siberian: fine-grained, earthy and mellow, and the least expensive of our sturgeon caviars. To compare, the Tasting Set puts Royal Siberian, Royal Oscietra and Amur Fusion side by side.
What does caviar taste like?
Fresh caviar smells clean, a little like oysters. The taste depends on the species: earthy and mellow in Royal Siberian, slightly nutty in Royal Oscietra, rich and buttery in Kaluga, delicate and creamy in Beluga.
Is Beluga a good first caviar?
It can be, but it is the most expensive of our five caviars, and easier to appreciate once you have tasted another caviar to compare it with.
What do you eat caviar with?
Start with nothing: a plain spoonful from a mother-of-pearl spoon. Then blinis with a little crème fraîche, or boiled eggs or potatoes. Leave strong garnishes such as onion and lemon for later.
How much caviar do two people need?
60 g as a course, 30 g each: two 30 g tins. One 30 g tin between two is a canapé-sized taste of 15 g each.