Seaweed Caviar
By: Sheri Wetherell
Published: February 21, 2009

I was perusing the seafood section at Uwajimaya the other day when I spied the sample table. I edged closer and saw that it was caviar. Caviar! Now that's the kind of sample table I can hang around! Barnaby handed me a cracker piled high with jet black goodness and I tasted. Delicious! But wait, it's not quite caviar. What is it? It definitely had the taste of the sea, but not as briny as I was expecting with caviar.
That's because it wasn't caviar.
At least not in the traditional sense. It was seaweed caviar! It's called Cavi-Art, and it's the brilliant result of molecular gastronomy, which basically means scientifically transforming an ingredient. In this case (and this is purely my guess as I'm not trained in molecular gastronomy), liquid seaweed that has been transformed into tiny pods - a.k.a. caviar. Cool!!
Whether you're vegan, want to try something new, or just don't want to drop the coin on caviar, this is the perfect alternative. It also has a long shelf-life, doesn't need to be refrigerated and can be used in hot and cold dishes. Best of all, it's healthy (low-fat, low-salt and cholesterol free) and environmentally sustainable, as it doesn't contribute to the depletion of fish stocks and only a small percent of the seaweed growth is harvested each year.
We purchased the black lumpfish Cavi-Art, but it also comes in red and yellow lumpfish as well as salmon Cavi-Art. Check out their website for some delicious sounding recipes. So far we've just been piling it on crackers with a bit of crème fraîche.

Comments:
Navita
February 22, 2009

Cavi Art...need to try it!!
Greg Bulmash

Contacted Cavi-Art to see where they were for sale near me, here in the wilds of Mukilteo/Everett.  They said the Food Emporium at the start of the Mukilteo Speedway carried their stuff, but the only kind I could find there was the red kind.
Does anyone know if the different colors have different flavor profiles to make them more like the real caviar they're supposed to resemble or if they're all the same flavor with different pretty colors?
Sheri Wetherell

We only tried the black lumpfish caviar, but I've heard that the other colors are made to resemble the "real thing."
caviar

I guess we've got to put some sort of use to all that seaweed, right? This sounds really interesting. Does it taste...seaweedish?
Mica

I have been searching for that in the Netherlands! This looks sooo delicious and make great gourmet gifts for Christmas!
Aston

you can buy seaweed caviar from http://www.seaweedcaviar.fr and it is vegetarian and without preservatives.
Russian Cuisine

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Russian Cuisine

Buy russian caviar online, wholesale or retail, from the supplier in Russia. Here, you can find the best russian types of caviar and the quality is guaranteed, www.russian-cuisine.com