Pressed Caviar

Known as payusnaya ikra in Russia, pressed caviar has a salty and fishy flavor. It is usually made of Sevruga or Osetra eggs that are broken, very ripe, or immature. Fifteen pounds or six kilograms of roe is used to make pressed caviar. The fish eggs are placed in hot and salted brine and shaken for a while. Then, the salted caviar is put in cheesecloth and placed in small oak barrels, which are coated with paraffin. The caviar is pressed so that the excess liquid is removed. In the past, the resulting product would be a very thick pressed caviar that would need to be sliced with a knife. Today, however, it has a softer texture. Popular among Russians, pressed caviar is used as a spread (like a jam) or in cooking. Even though it was very expensive before the use of refrigeration, today it costs roughly equal to or less than the price of Sevruga.