I really like the caviar in F on SQ this time around. On the menu card, it says "malossol". I went online and therfe is all type of "malossol" caviar.

What is similar to what SQ serves? By the way, it is blackish in color, not too salty and very fresh in taste.

Now, I do not know if I ate it right, but it tasted good in this manner:

1) melba toast
2) raw cut onion -- small amount
3) Double the amount of caviar on top of the onion
4) slight squeeze of lemon

Tasted damn good !!!

Why do they offer "chilled vodka"? Does that taste better?

If they offer a good caviar, why not offer a better vodka than absolut? Why not "kettle one" or "ciroq"?

Can someone help me understand the whole "caviar" bit?

Caviar is fine dining at its best. Its effectively salted fish roe harvested in limited amounts and made available seasonally. I'm not sure what SQ serves but the best obtainable in the U.S. is Golden Iranian Osetra at $200+/oz. I doubt airlines would serve that even for Fare Code F customers. Caviar comes in different classifications like beluga, osetra, etc. All denote the type of sturgeon and typically differ in size, pearliness, etc, etc.

(Fine caviar comes from sturgeon mostly-- some are sold as salted egg roe from paddlefish (not the real stuff).)

The tradition of sipping super chilled vodka after caviar is obviously Russian and dates back to practices by the czars and aristocrats themselves. The thought is that the vodka would cleanse the palate which can be left with a briny aftertaste. Think pickled radish/ginger with sushi. However, vodka shots can be too harsh. I prefer a vintage bubbly to complement. However, this is all personal taste.

As for offering a better vodka, I wholeheartedly agree. I think it may have to do with who SQ is partnering up with. Virgin Atlantic has the best selection.

Next time, skip the melba and ask for blintzs and capers. Lemon could kill the briny-ness and should be avoided on the high-end caviars.


Cheers!

chilled vodka is the only way to go, I wish other airlines offered it chilled. On the rocks is really diminishing the essence of vodka. Absolute is nothing to write home about, but at least better than smirnoff

I only like caviar with lemon distinctly to kill the brine flavor, which I don't like

I enjoyed the caviar with a glass of Krug Grand Cuvee !!! That was a fantastic pairing.

I really did not notice the brine flavor in the caviar and I had a few bites plain without the toast and it tasted pretty good !!

SQ used to serve Caviar House caviar; sadly it does not any longer, as the cost became too high. CX still serves CH but of a lower grade than before (but better than SQ in the current offering). Caviar House has shops in all the major airports (LHR, ZRH, GVE, JFK for example) and sell caviar at a variety of price points. They also have excellent smoked salmon. I've found CH to never disappoint. Some of their locations also have a snack bar, allowing you to spend a few hundred dollars for lunch, if you so choose (LHR does, maybe all do now). Well worth seeking out Caviar House, they are miles ahead of any other mass market caviar supplier (if selling at USD1000 per pound can be called a mass market).

re vodka, stoli elit seems to burn more now than it used to.. first had it a few years ago, and it was really faint. at the time i heard jean marc xo was even smoother.