Emma Miller
How to check the quality of red caviar – read the label
First of all, already being in the store, you should pay attention to the packaging. Sometimes it says the word “imitation” – this means that the product is not real and the manufacturer says it honestly.
According to GOST, the label of quality red caviar must contain:
- name and address of the manufacturer;
- name of the product;
- place of fishing;
- grade and degree of saltiness;
- date of manufacture;
- date of packing.
In addition, remember that the price of red caviar cannot be surprisingly low. Caviar is an expensive product, and it would be strange if the producer worked at a loss. If you see cheap caviar on supermarket shelves, it is a mixture of several varieties of caviar from different species of fish. The second option is imitation or a mixture of natural and fake caviar.
How do they fake red caviar – cheating variants
In fact, there is nothing dishonorable in the fact that you bought imitation red caviar – it does not bring harm to the body. The main thing in this matter – is the honesty of the manufacturer and the impossibility of overpaying for a product of low quality.
Imitation red caviar is now made from agar-agar, fish oil, and fish broth, sometimes adding dyes. There are two types of such products:
- granulated;
- encapsulated.
The first version is caviar in the form of balls, similar to the jelly of fish. It is very easy to identify it – all the eggs are perfectly shaped, shiny, without “eyes”, and do not burst on the tongue.
The second option – is products of higher quality, which are difficult to distinguish from real caviar. The capsules look transparent, even with “eyes”. The shell of the eggs is thin with liquid content inside. Often it is the encapsulated caviar that unscrupulous sellers pass off as the real thing.
How to check the authenticity of red caviar at home
Once you have chosen the perfect product in the store, according to the above identification marks on the jar, you can inspect the caviar at home. There are several methods for this purpose.
How to test caviar in hot water
Take a small amount of caviar, put it on a plate, and pour boiling water over it. Natural caviar is a solid protein, which curdles when in contact with hot liquid. If the caviar is real you will see white flakes. Artificial products will remain unscathed, and the surface will float droplets of fish oil.
How to distinguish caviar from gelatin with peroxide
This method is suitable if you buy caviar, for example, at the market, and there is no container with boiling water at hand. Put the product on your finger or a teaspoon (if your experiment takes place at home), then drop a little peroxide. The result will be the same as in the first option: natural caviar will leave white flakes, while fake will either not react at all, or will dissolve.
Remember that red caviar can be stored for up to 5 days from the moment the original packaging is damaged. The optimum temperature is -4°C to -6°C. At the same time, it is better not to leave such a product in a tin and put it in a glass container.
