13 Great Caviars You Can Order Online

Along with truffles, Kobe beef, and saffron, caviar is known for being one of the most expensive foods, but not everyone knows what caviar is: it's fish eggs, and salt. The eggs come from a particularly endangered fish called a sturgeon, which is part of the reason why caviar costs so much. Today, it all comes from sturgeon raised on farms.

The price of caviar is also a result of the extensive farming process. Farmers have to wait until a female sturgeon reaches sexual maturity — which can take eight to 20 years. Historically, the fish would then be killed and its eggs would be cut out. Nowadays, some caviar farmers inject a hormone into the sturgeon that allows them to extract the eggs without killing the fish.

The unique taste of caviar keeps people coming back for more. The flavor is extremely savory, subtly fishy, and slightly salty. The texture — full of individual popping beads — is even more satisfying. But not all caviar is this good. To find a great product, you have to look in the right places, which may be on the other side of the world from you. But luckily, we have the internet. Whether you're a first-time caviar eater, or already know the difference between caviar and fish roe, here are 13 great options you can buy online.

Tsar Nicoulai Caviar is a brand with a Russian name — something coveted in the industry — but this company is based in California. Besides the slightly misleading name, Tsar Nicoulai is all about transparency, sustainability, and quality. Most of the brand's farmed caviar comes from white sturgeon. Per Caviar Lover, eggs from this species are particularly loved for their nutritional benefits. The fish (and its eggs) are full of proteins, amino acids, and vitamins.

How the caviar is farmed gives Tsar Nicoulai its world-class eggs. According to the brand, its sturgeon are raised in an environment free from GMOs, antibiotics, and steroids. The company is eco-certified, meaning a third-party organization has audited Tsar Nicoulai to ensure the brand is meeting certain animal welfare and quality standards.

The white sturgeon can yield several different shades of caviar. You'll find these many varieties on the Tsar Nicoulai website, under names like Classic, Select, Reserve, and more. The company also sells a few tins of Beluga, Baerii, and Osetra, but these are sourced from the company's Greek farm, and in the case of Beluga, Bulgaria. We'd recommend the celebrated Tsar Nicoulai Estate caviar, the winner of a 2020 Sofi Award from the Specialty Food Association. You can purchase one ounce of this caviar (the recommended serving size for two people) for $70.

Caviar Russe is an American restaurant and caviar company. The company sources its eggs from a small-batch sturgeon farm located in Germany. Coveted caviar varieties like Osetra and Beluga — both originally Russian sturgeon species believed to be responsible for producing the highest-quality eggs — are selected and sourced by Caviar Russe during each harvest. This caviar is the focal point of the menu at Caviar Russe's two restaurants in Miami and New York, the latter of which is Michelin-starred. But you can also purchase the caviar online.

Although these fish eggs can last around four to six weeks under the right conditions (typically 26 to 36 degrees Fahrenheit in a sealed container), many people try to eat caviar as soon as possible. The company has options for express overnight delivery, same-day local delivery, and local pickup at its NYC and Florida locations. Once your purchase is placed, your caviar will even be packed to order, helping to ensure optimal freshness.

There are many different caviars to choose from, but we recommend buying Caviar Russe's Classic Osetra. From its brown-black appearance to its nutty flavor profile, the beloved Osetra variety is a classic example of caviar that will be a great introduction for beginners. The smallest size it comes in is larger than most, at 1.75 ounces, meaning you will pay more. But if you have $165 to spend, this is the one for you.

Olma is a gourmet online food company, and caviar is one of its most celebrated products. The New York-based company doesn't farm its sturgeon — it sources it from various places, including Israel, the United States, Italy, and East Asia. But even though it's not in charge of sturgeon farming, Olma has ways of ensuring the caviar it's putting out is high quality.

The brand claims to have long-term relationships with the sturgeon farms responsible for its caviar, hand-packs each container, and utilizes traditional production methods. One of these is the Malossol method, which is now used by most producers. This Russian method of caviar salting preserves the product using a salt content of 3-5% to extend the eggs' shelf life.

There are several types of caviar sold by Olma, but we recommend the Kaluga Royal Caviar. The term "Royal" is used by Olma and other brands to indicate a product which is a cut above, in terms of the size and color of the eggs. You can buy one ounce of it for around $60.

The Classic Osetra Caviar sold by Marshallberg Farm is another product we'd recommend. It may be described as "Classic" — which means it's not quite as high quality as "Royal" caviar — but this particular product is more appealing to us. For one, the Classic Osetra Caviar comes in attractive black and gray hues, which is what most caviar patrons expect and desire. Additionally, this caviar has more positive reviews than the Royal Osetra. You can buy one ounce of it for around $85.

Marshallberg Farm is a great company to consider ordering your caviar from. It's an American brand that raises its sturgeon at a farm in North Carolina. The fish are raised without unwanted or illegal food additives like antibiotics, hormones, or borax (an ingredient sometimes found in imported caviar). These sustainable practices have earned Marshallberg Farm a recommendation from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch, which rates organizations based on their environmentalism.

Petrossian is a historic name in the world of caviar. The Parisian brand founded by two Armenian brothers has been selling caviar for more than 100 years. Today, it is based in New York City, with restaurants in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Costa Mesa. Petrossian also operates boutiques for buying caviar in those places, as well as in New York, Paris and Brussels. It does not raise its sturgeon but imports it.

The company sells several varieties of caviar, including Ossetra, Kaluga, Beluga, and Sevruga. We recommend the Tsar Imperial Kaluga Huso Hybrid. It is a high-quality caviar that comes from a hybrid species of the Kaluga and Amur sturgeons. Petrossian describes this caviar as having exceptionally large beads that create a shockingly strong burst when bitten into. However, you will pay a lot for this unique product. This expensive caviar starts at $280 for one ounce.

Paramount Caviar is a fine foods brand that sells caviar along with other gourmet items like truffle products, squid ink, macarons, smoked fish, and quince paste. The company doesn't farm its caviar but selects it from various sturgeon farms in the United States and other countries. Paramount's caviar is high quality enough to have been sold to Michelin-starred restaurants. Luckily for at-home shoppers in the U.S., you can order it online. The brand also has in-store pickup and same-day delivery options for people living in New York.

We recommend Paramount's savory Classic Osetra Caviar. This imported variety is farmed but claims to mimic the taste of wild-caught Osetra historically found in the Caspian Sea, with a creamy, nutty flavor. It's olive brown in color, and individual beads are medium-sized. This is a great caviar for newcomers who are looking to get a middle-of-the-road item in terms of price. One ounce will cost you $85.

Marky's is a gourmet food brand that sells several famous caviar varieties, including Osetra, Beluga, and Kaluga. It also offers domestic varieties of sturgeon such as the American Paddlefish. This caviar is more affordable than most types. You can get one ounce of Marky's American Paddlefish caviar for just $35, which is half the cost of typical high-quality caviars. Not only is the price appealing to newcomers to the caviar world, but so is the taste — which is described as earthy and bold — and the appearance, which is a mixture of gray and black.

This is a company that sources, rather than farms its caviar. As a result, countries of origin per product can vary. The good news is that Marky's takes online orders of its caviar very seriously. Products will arrive at your home around a day after ordering. The caviar comes surrounded by ice packs designed to have melted by the time they arrive, allowing you to easily pop it into the fridge.

Russ & Daughters is a self-described "appetizing shop," meaning it sells bagels and foods like cream cheese and lox that are traditionally eaten alongside them. The business specializing in Jewish cuisine now has several locations. It also sells several of its products online, allowing individuals nationwide to experience some of Russ & Daughters' delicious products. The primary item available is caviar.

Online, you can purchase several varieties. These include Kaluga, Osetra, Baerii, and Hackleback. There is even salmon, trout, and flying fish roe available for shipping, too. If you're going to order one of these online, we'd recommend the American Transmontanus. This unique type of caviar comes from white sturgeon in the Sacramento Valley of California. Russ & Daughters describe its taste as similar to that of Osetra caviar. If you want a domestic product similar to a classic caviar like that one, the American Transmontanous could be a perfect fit.

Regalis Foods' Two-Tone Osetra is another great caviar available for online ordering. Tins come in one-ounce, four-ounce, and one-kilogram sizes. The smallest available size costs $125. This caviar comes from the Osetra variety of sturgeon, known for its golden-yellow color and for having an especially buttery taste to match that hue. With the Two-Tone version, various gray and black caviar beads are sprinkled in. According to Regalis, this mix is sometimes called "Salt and Pepper."

This caviar comes from a sturgeon farm located in the Netherlands. Regalis does not own or operate this farm. Instead, it imports caviar from there. Per Regalis, these Dutch farms do not use unwanted ingredients in the caviar world such as borax. The farms also don't pasteurize the caviar or use coloring agents to make it a particular color. Also, the Two-Tone Osetra is a particularly rare variety produced there, accounting for just 3% of all harvested caviar.

Browne Trading Company is a fine foods importer specializing in seafood. Since 1991, the Portland, Maine-based brand has built a reputation for shipping smoked seafood, fresh seafood, and caviar throughout the United States. During that time, the caviar market experienced its shift from seafood taken directly from the Caspian Sea to caviar sourced from farms. Nowadays, Browne Trading Company partners with these farms to help oversee the entire process. It claims to be the only U.S. caviar importer to do so. These farms are located in China, Israel, Italy, Belgium, and the U.S.

We recommend Browne Trading Company's Snake River Royal White Sturgeon Caviar. The caviar comes from white sturgeon which are raised in southern Idaho, in a region called Snake River Valley. Although the name describes it as "white," the individual pearls of this caviar are pitch black. They are also said to be pretty large. When you eat it, the pearls melt in your mouth, rather than pop. You can purchase one ounce of this caviar for $125.

Pearl Street Caviar's Keluga comes from the sturgeon species called Huso or Schrenckii. This breed was created as a hybrid from the Kaluga and Schrenckii sturgeons. The pearls of this caviar appear brownish-gold and are said to taste buttery and light. As with other caviars sold by Pearl Street, this product boasts especially high levels of vitamin D — reportedly several times that of the average caviar. But like all caviars, it also comes with extremely high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, even more so than certain types of salmon. You can purchase this caviar online for $110 for approximately one ounce.

This brand does next-day shipping and specific delivery dates. The caviar also comes in compostable packing that keeps the product cool for up to 60 hours. On top of that, Pearl Street boasts a commitment to sustainability and animal welfare. It partners with farms located near natural waterways to ensure the fish receive similar nutrition compared with what they would eat in the wild. Also, it makes sure that with every sturgeon raised, it is also fertilizing eggs to help repopulate overfished areas that used to house more sturgeon.

Imperia Caviar is located in Los Angeles but can ship its products all over the United States. Imperia doesn't own or operate its farms. Instead, it partners with farms located worldwide. According to Imperia, these businesses are focused on combating the overfishing of sturgeon by raising the fish on sustainable farms. These sturgeon also live in freshwater which helps to purify the eggs.

From this caviar importer, we recommend the Royal Ossetra caviar. Black-gray in color, with some gold flecks, this caviar has a bold flavor and a firm texture that pops when you eat it. This "Royal" variety means it is a step up from other Imperia Ossetras, making it perfect for splurging on or using to impress a caviar expert that comes to dinner. This does also mean it's more expensive than usual: The cheapest option is $195 for just one ounce. To guarantee freshness, Imperia offers overnight shipping of this product and other caviars.

The Caviar Co.'s Siberian Sturgeon tastes smooth and savory, with a flavor that's said to mimic that of Parmesan cheese in its especially nutty taste. It comes from a variety of Sturgeon called Baerii which is farmed in Poland. Like other products, it will last around four to six weeks in the refrigerator (if unopened). Once you open the tin, the caviar will last a few days. You can purchase one ounce for $95.

The Caviar Co. is an American caviar distributor based in San Francisco, California. The family-owned company currently has two locations in the area. It gets its caviar from specific sustainability-minded farms and brings these values into other areas of the business. The boxes used are recyclable, the liner is compostable, and the ice packs to preserve the freshness of the caviar are reusable. If you wash them well enough, The Caviar Co. also recommends re-using your caviar tins.