Bowfin caviar

What is bowfin caviar?

Bowfin caviar is the roe of Amia calva, a freshwater fish native to North America and known in Louisiana as choupique. Bowfin is not a sturgeon and not an Acipenseriform — it belongs to an older, separate lineage entirely. Bowfin caviar is wild-harvested in the United States, which makes it a genuinely American black caviar.

Bowfin roe is naturally true-black, without dye. That colour is the reason bowfin caviar is often chosen as an affordable stand-in for the look of classic black caviar.

Is bowfin caviar real caviar?

Yes, bowfin caviar is real caviar — it is cured fish roe. Bowfin caviar is not sturgeon caviar, because bowfin is not a sturgeon, and honest labelling keeps the two distinct. What bowfin caviar offers is a true American caviar with naturally black pearls, at a fraction of the sturgeon price.

The distinction matters against dyed alternatives. Lumpfish caviar is usually coloured with added dye, while bowfin roe is black on its own, so bowfin is the higher-quality true-black option at the affordable end.

What does bowfin caviar taste like?

Bowfin caviar has firm, small pearls around 2 mm and a clean, mild flavour. The pearls hold their shape and give a distinct pop. Bowfin caviar is milder and less complex than sturgeon caviar, which is part of why it costs far less.

• Pearl size: around 2 mm
• Colour: naturally true black
• Texture: firm, distinct pearls
• Flavour: clean and mild

How much does bowfin caviar cost?

Bowfin caviar carries the lowest price per ounce in the USA Black Caviar catalogue, as of August 2026. The 200 g jar costs less per ounce than the 100 g jar, and the table lists both from our catalogue.

Bowfin vs sturgeon and lumpfish caviar

Bowfin caviar is the true-black, low-priced option — cheaper than sturgeon and better than dyed lumpfish. Sturgeon caviar has larger pearls and a brinier, more complex flavour, at several times the price. Lumpfish caviar is usually dyed, while bowfin is black on its own.

How much bowfin caviar do I need per person?

Allow 12–15 g of bowfin caviar per person as an appetiser, or 30 g per person when caviar is the centre of the course. A 100 g jar therefore serves six to eight people as an appetiser, and a 200 g jar serves thirteen to sixteen.

Where does our bowfin caviar come from?

USA Black Caviar’s bowfin caviar is wild-harvested in the United States. Bowfin is a native North American fish, not a farmed or imported species, so bowfin caviar is a domestic product from US waters.

Contains fish (bowfin roe).

How to serve and store bowfin caviar

Keep bowfin caviar refrigerated at 28–32 °F (−2 to 0 °C), and eat it within 48 hours of opening. Never freeze bowfin caviar, because freezing ruptures the pearls.

1. Chill the jar in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not the freezer.
2. Rest the unopened jar on crushed ice for 15 minutes before serving.
3. Serve with a mother-of-pearl, bone or horn spoon. Metal reacts and taints the flavour.
4. Serve plain, or on blini with crème fraîche, or on egg and potato.
5. Reseal and refrigerate any remainder, then finish it within 48 hours.