kinofdc

On the same aforesaid flight, he also greatly enjoyed the incredible 2004 vintage Krug.

sxc

Did he like the caviar because it was caviar or because it was good caviar? I feel that his reports tend to favour things because of an items aura rather than the actual quality. For example he laments that Aesop has been removed, without actually saying whether Bamford is any good.

Rivarix

I'm no expert on caviar so here's my question. Is there a reason why CX choose PRC's caviar? Cost cutting, currying favour with mainland or something else? PRC as country of origin doesn't (to me at least) exude high-end. I have no problem with clothing, electronics, etc etc but to me, PRC food = 50/50 chance it is laden with melamine, borax or whatever chemicals to reduce cost and enhance appearance.

percysmith

Also originally posted by sxc:

The World’s Best Caviar Doesn’t Come From Russia Anymore - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...russia-anymore

Visconti

Interesting. Had no idea.

Regarding the CX caviar, it's edible at 30K feet, but I think they should get something other than the lowest grade. Generally, when it's served with the side stuff (little pancakes, sour cream, onions), to me, it's an indication that one might not be getting the highest grade. In my view, caviar is best plain & chilled (MOP spoon! LMAO) with a very dry champagne, which Krug certainly is.

percysmith

Analogies that come up in my head:

- Harbour Grand buffets serving "oyster" and "abalone" which probably still meet the requirements of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance but nothing more

- Johnnie Walker Gold Reserve being a drink for "high-energy celebrations"

QRC3288

To tag on to percy's post and my longer posts above, yes China makes superb caviar. It's somewhat of a fools game to be paying up for some of the European farmed caviar brands or lines these days, because many are sourcing from China (usually Kaluga), but charging customers who don't know any better and are predisposed to European-sounding names 2-5x the price.

The new CX caviar appears to me to be one of Kaluga's lowest, if not the lowest, lines they produce. That is then stamped by the brand "Imperial" to fool guys like that blogger. To be fair, the Imperial brand themselves don't pretend this is the good stuff - on their website they recommend sticking this line of caviar "on canapes" (aka: not good enough to eat on its own). It has quite a strange, almost plastic-like texture, and minimal to no flavor except saltiness. I would say this new CX caviar is equal to if not slightly worse than JAL's F class caviar, which is also terrible. The only thing both of those services do is present it nicely, but in terms of taste and texture, no thank you. I've now had this new CX caviar 4 or 5 times now; the first time I had it a few months ago, was downright bizarre and I couldn't even finish half of it. Very plastic-like texture. The remaining times have been just bad/passable.

Anyway, to your PRC comment Kaluga makes very good caviar. Like the analogy with any brand (using JW, for example) they have the Red, Green, Black, Gold, Blue etc. I'm just pretty sure what CX has selected is near the bottom rung. Ironically, CX probably could've gotten higher quality if they had sourced from Kaluga directly, eliminating the British middleman brand and whatever markup comes with that. But I suspect people predisposed to dislike PRC products (perhaps the blogger) would've actually said the superior quality, had CX selected the PRC brand directly, was bad and made a big stink about it. The truth is most folks identify things by the label / brand / perceived provenance, and that influences their perception of flavor and experience of the product.

Visconti

Definitely going to look for it pick up some the next time I'm there.

Ah, I can't disagree, really. Upon first taste, it's readily apparent that whatever the grade, it certainly wasn't meant to be consumed on its own. My first impression was it tasted little salty lacking that slight hint of butter with a texture that wasn't very well defined and lacked the usual resiliency--hesitate to call it mushy, but sort of. Really hard to explain. Just didn't taste like top grade stuff. I suppose it was ok once you mix it up with the sour cream, chives and egg pieces. Probably not something I'd eat on its own with an excellent dry Champagne.

Agreed.

I'll look for it then next time I'm in the PRC. My initial thoughts would have been to instantly distrust or dismiss caviar from the PRC (as I had once upon a time with Japanese Whiskey), but I have an open mind, or at least I'd like to think so. I do agree that it's important to see pass the branding and understand what constitutes the substance behind that brand. I'll use a watch analogy. Most of the luxury brand name watches are made with fairly generic ETA movements, and only a few have that true high end luxury of a unique and complete in house movement, though many lacking that refinement are priced as if they're in the same class.

sxc

I think you will have more luck getting the good quality PRC caviar outside of the PRC. Check Caviar House for example: https://www.caviarhouse-prunier.co.u...cuum-tin?c=211

Visconti

Thanks for the link. Somewhat surprising since I had assumed it would be more cost effective and readily available in the PRC.

sxc

You may find the best quality stuff in China, but the typical MO is for the good quality stuff to get exported leaving lower quality for local consumption.

Interestingly, at Caviar House, their most expensive items are the Chinese products. French products are cheaper.

Also it seems that Kaluga Queen doesn’t really sell under their own name. Rather they are suppliers to “houses” that sell it under their own name.

Visconti

Rather than my usual and preferred haphazard "wing it" approach, I'm starting to become intrigued enough to make an effort on this one. Since I'll have to be in Shanghai anyway, mind as well fill up my free time trying to see if I can find some of the good stuff to take back with me. Hopefully, my hotel concierge can point me in the right direction.

You guys really have me awfully curious to try some of the Kaluga trop grade offerings. And, regarding branding, couldn't care less, so long as it has the good stuff within it.

oldchinahand

If anyone is interested the correct way to eat caviar (no matter what the quality) is from the back of one's hand.
Not an easy skill to master but the fantastic and interesting reactions are well worth the endeavor !

Visconti

Bold on an airplane! If an FA ever pours my champagne with an initial dash and letting it settle before toping off the glass, I'm game to see if I can pull this off, even with this low grade stuff that everyone seems to find objectionable.

pWei

For bloggers, I use them for objective, not subjective, descriptions. Aesop replaced with Bamford - good info. I feel Bamford isn't as well known a brand, and it isn't bad. Honestly, I don't think Aesop's products were that suitable for onboard use to start with anyway. For example, the lip oil doesn't have as much staying power as the bamford chapstick.

Wonder if they don't don't know better, or pandering to a mass audience.

There is another lawyer blogger that focuses on coffee, which I actually find to be good to know. If an airline was dedicated enough to use a pressurized rice cooker/espresso machine/fresh cooked x on board, it's worth at least a try to me.

Beverage - I like the Lynch Barges. Maybe we can go beyond the Champagne. JING tea - pretty good, but I've had better. Whiskey/Scotch, other airlines might have a better selection. But that's fine, I'm too busy going through the wine list anyway. Coffee? Who knows, never had time for that! HK Milk Tea? IIRC, tastes powdered, unfortunately.