A Taste of Luxury: Petrossian Caviar and Vodka

Dining at Petrossian has been on our list of decadent things to do but we are yet to make it to Restaurant Le 144 in Paris’ 7th arrondissement. Until we are able to realise that dream of ordering off la carte des caviars, we did the next best thing.

About Petrossian

Petrossian is a name synonymous with caviar and luxury foods. The company was founded in the 1920s by two Armenian brothers Melkoum and Mouchegh Petrossian who emigrated to Paris from the Iranian side of the Caspian Sea and became the first prestigious caviar house buyer and importer worldwide. They collaborated with Cesar Ritz of the Ritz Hotel in Place Vendome and contributed to caviar’s popularity worldwide. Today, Petrossian Caviar continues is under the direction of Armen Petrossian and continues to spread its name in the luxury food market.

What is Caviar

Caviar is the eggs of the sturgeon fish. The number of wild species has been significantly reduced due to over fishing resulting in some caviar houses farming their sturgeon to supply the luxury products market.

Our little purchase of Royal Baeri Caviar made the journey home packaged in a special Petrossian cooler bag. Inside, the 30g tin was chilling on a flat bed of ice. Sturgeon roe has a relatively short shelf life therefore it is recommended that it be eaten fresh instead of storing it for long periods in the home refrigerator.

How to Eat Caviar

For optimum taste, caviar is best handled with a mother of pearl spoon as metal cutlery imparts a metallic taste that masks the true enjoyment of its delicate flavours. Blinis, crème fraiche, even small squares of Lescure buttered toast are popular accompaniments but we remain purists. We find the best way to get the maximum flavour is to eat a little mouthful on its own, allowing the eggs to release the subtleties of their flavour directly between the palate and the tongue, and occasionally pop one in the mouth.

What to Drink with Caviar

Champagne is often paired with caviar and it can equally be enjoyed with a quality Vodka that has been chilling in the freezer. Petrossian Vodka has the kind of purity that enhances the taste of the roe. Its smooth and crisp notes lend themselves to drinking straight from a chilled shot glass.

The Taste of Caviar

The first taste often elicits the kind of dreamy anticipation like that of being on a first date.  The caviar is rich and creamy with a delicate sea flavour that lingers in the mouth, a taste of luxury that does not disappoint.

Petrossian Caviar
David Jones Food Hall
Elizabeth St
Sydney NSW

Petrossian Vodka
Ultimo Wine Centre
99 Jones St, Ultimo
Sydney NSW

Petrossian Restaurant, Paris
Restaurant Le 144
144 rue de l’Université
75007 Paris
Métro: Invalides

For as long as she could hold a pen, Ms Gourmantic has been an avid scribe feeding her passion for writing with an overactive imagination. Her repertoire includes works of fiction, short stories, travelogues as well as authoring blogs and photoblogs. She is currently writing a novel.

Gourmantic

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