Sevruga, Caspian
Acipenser stellatus
Caspian Sea·Iran·Premium
The most intensely oceanic of the classic Caspian trio. Small jet-black grains with a snappy, decisive pop and a briny sea-deep umami that hits hard and fast. No refinement — just raw power. The espresso shot of caviar.
Salinity5Butteriness2Nuttiness2Umami5Complexity3
Pop
firm
Finish
Briny
Texture
firm
Grain
small
Colour
jet black
Blini service
Not recommended
Sevruga's entire appeal is its aggressive salinity. Starch absorbs and muffles exactly what you came for. Eat it straight, or at most on a lightly buttered toast point.
Pairings
- Champagne
- NV Brut Champagne, Bollinger Special Cuvée
- Wine
- Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie
- Spirits
- Frozen Russian vodka, Ice-cold aquavit
Production
- Source
- wild-managed / Caspian
- Producer
- Iranian / Caspian fisheries
- Processing
- malossol
- Grade
- classic
Legal & sourcing
Not available in the United States. Wild Caspian Sevruga is restricted / unavailable in the US. Farmed Sevruga alternatives are very limited. Reference entry.
⚑ Regulatory watch
Species proposed for US ESA endangered listing (USFWS, May 2022). If finalized, the rule would apply 'wherever found' and could halt US import, export, and interstate commerce of ALL caviar of this species — including sustainably farmed product. As of mid-2025 no final rule has been published; farmed product remains fully legal to sell in the US today. Countervailing legislation (H.R. 4033 / S.2870, 'Sturgeon Conservation and Sustainability Act of 2025') would exempt farm-raised captive sturgeon if passed. Second-generation+ hybrids with non-listed species would be exempt from the listing.CITES Appendix II — international trade requires documentation. Wild harvest is banned; all commercial product is farmed.
At a menu
For those who want the boldest, most sea-forward caviar — small beads, big briny hit.
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