Kaluga Hybrid caviar

What is Kaluga Hybrid caviar?

Kaluga Hybrid caviar is the roe of a cross between the Kaluga sturgeon, Huso dauricus, and the Amur sturgeon, Acipenser schrenckii. Both parents belong to the order Acipenseriformes, and both are farmed under aquaculture. The name Kaluga also belongs to a Russian city, so USA Black Caviar always pairs it with “caviar” or “sturgeon” to keep the fish clear.

Kaluga Hybrid is the closest legally available relative to Beluga. Beluga (Huso huso) shares the same genus as the Kaluga parent, which is why Kaluga carries the large pearls and rounded flavour that buyers associate with Beluga — without the import ban.

What does Kaluga Hybrid caviar taste like?

Kaluga Hybrid caviar tastes buttery and mild, with a clean marine finish and a rounder profile than Ossetra. The pearls are large and glossy, over 3.2 mm, and pop softly against the palate. Kaluga Hybrid is the caviar to choose for a first tin, because its butteriness is approachable rather than briny.

• Pearl size: 3.2–3.5 mm
• Colour: golden to dark brown
• Texture: large, glossy pearls, soft release
• Flavour: buttery, mild, clean marine finish

How much does Kaluga Hybrid caviar cost?

Kaluga Hybrid caviar at USA Black Caviar comes in two tins, and the 250 g tin costs less per ounce than the 100 g. The 250 g tin works out about 9% cheaper per ounce than the 100 g, as of August 2026. Larger tins always cost less per ounce.

Kaluga vs Ossetra vs Beluga

Kaluga Hybrid has larger pearls and a butterier profile than Ossetra, and it is the closest legal stand-in for Beluga, which is not sold in the United States. Ossetra is firmer and nuttier. Beluga is banned from US import, so Kaluga is the practical choice for a Beluga-style tin.

How much Kaluga Hybrid caviar do I need per person?

Allow 12–15 g of Kaluga Hybrid caviar per person as an appetiser, or 30 g per person when caviar is the centre of the course. A 100 g tin therefore serves six to eight people as an appetiser, and three to four as a main event.

Where does our Kaluga Hybrid caviar come from?

USA Black Caviar’s Kaluga Hybrid is farm-raised, not wild-harvested, and cured malossol — the low-salt method that preserves the roe without masking it. Aquaculture supplies every Kaluga Hybrid tin, because the hybrid is bred and raised on farms rather than caught in the wild.

All sturgeon species are listed under CITES Appendix II, and every tin we import carries a CITES label recording source, country of origin and year of harvest. [TBD — name farm partners and countries once sourcing confirms what is disclosable.] Contains fish (sturgeon roe).

How to serve and store Kaluga Hybrid caviar

Unopened, Kaluga Hybrid caviar keeps for four weeks at 28–32 °F (−2 to 0 °C). Opened, eat it within 48 hours. Never freeze Kaluga Hybrid caviar, because freezing ruptures the pearls.

1. Chill the tin in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not the freezer.
2. Rest the unopened tin on crushed ice for 15 minutes before serving.
3. Open at the table and serve straight from the tin.
4. Use a mother-of-pearl, bone or horn spoon. Metal reacts and taints the flavour.
5. Serve plain, or with blini and crème fraîche. Pair with brut Champagne or chilled vodka.
6. Reseal and refrigerate any remainder, then finish it within 48 hours.