Hackleback (American Shovelnose)
Scaphirhynchus platorynchus
Mississippi River Basin, USA·United States·Accessible
America's last commercially wild-harvested sturgeon roe. Small, jet-black, glossy beads with a snappy pop and a clean briny finish. Underrated and underpriced — a dependable everyday black caviar with genuine sturgeon character.
Salinity3Butteriness2Nuttiness2Umami3Complexity2
Pop
firm
Finish
Briny
Texture
firm
Grain
small
Colour
jet black
Blini service
Recommended
Affordable and sturdy; a great everyday blini topper. The firm bead holds up well under heat and dairy.
Pairings
- Champagne
- Brut NV Champagne
- Wine
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Spirits
- Chilled vodka
Production
- Source
- wild (regulated US)
- Producer
- US river fisheries (Mississippi basin)
- Processing
- malossol
- Grade
- wild
Legal & sourcing
American shovelnose sturgeon — CITES Appendix II listed but legally wild-harvested and sold under US state fishery permits.
CITES Appendix II — international trade requires documentation. Wild harvest is banned; all commercial product is farmed.
At a menu
Best-value true American sturgeon roe — small, jet-black, dependable.
Similar varieties