Can you afford caviar?

Champagne wishes and caviar dreams? Caviar does indeed invoke dreams of the rich and famous, but a little of this rich delicacy goes a long way when used as the right touch. Its expensive connotation adds a touch of elegance and luxury to any celebration, be it a romantic dinner for two or a dinner party. If you are a novice at eating caviar, you will learn there are certain customs, practices and accompaniments for caviar, not to mention many different types.

Can you afford caviar?

You can order fine caviar via the Internet, but it is not necessarily cheaper. Even if you are willing to pay the price for premium caviar, the shipping costs will be equally astronomical. This is because it must be kept cold during shipping. I found one 7-ounce tin of Beluga caviar for $455 with shipping costs of $32 and the lowest for the same weight at about $250. Keep in mind that prices change with the season availability and demand.

Fear not! For most home cooking uses, it is not necessary to mortgage your home for a taste of elegance. You can find domestic American caviar for as low as $20 for seven ounces, and pressed caviar for even less. One ounce should be plenty for use as an accent for any recipe. Plan on 1 to 2 ounces per person as an hors d'oeuvre when calculating what you can afford.

For those of us who cannot afford to serve caviar as an hors d'oeuvre on its own, you will find many caviar recipes to stretch less expensive types of caviar. Just a little will add a touch of class to many less flavorful recipes and make them sparkle with flavor.

More about Caviar:

• What is caviar? FAQ
• Caviar History
• How to identify real caviar
• Caviar Varieties and Terms
• Caviar Selection and Storage
• Caviar Etiquette and Utensils
• Finding Affordable Caviar
• Caviar Cooking Tips
• Caviar and Health
• Caviar Recipes
_{Caviar Photo © 2009 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Cookbooks

•	Caviar: The Definitive Guide
•	The World of Caviar
•	Champagne and Caviar
•	The New York Times Seafood Cookbook
•	More Cookbooks