Bee Appetit: On National Caviar Day, smoked sturgeon spread is affordable luxury
Caviar is one of life’s great pleasures, delicate orbs full of rich bursts of salty, umami deliciousness. Whether you’re enjoying it with the requisite blini with creme fraiche or just knocking back a bump with your freezer martini, it’s an instant party.
Fortunately for us, the Sacramento Valley is one of the greatest caviar producing regions in the world. Local producer Tsar Nicoulai Caviar raises and harvests its own caviar across its seven fisheries around the area.
It’s quality stuff. In fact, its reserve white sturgeon caviar recently was announced a winner of the Good Food Awards.
“It’s kind of our show pony. It’s our first kid, our reserve grade of white sturgeon. It’s pretty much the sea butter flavor of caviar, if you will, and it is our flagship caviar offering, that’s used at multiple three Michelin star restaurants currently,” said Ali Bolourchi, CEO/President of Tsar Nicoulai.
However, at $69.99 per ounce, it’s definitely special occasion material, and not necessarily for National Caviar Day on July 18.
That’s not all that won. Tsar Nicoulai’s smoked sturgeon pate (also sold as smoked sturgeon spread) was another award recipient. This is the spread’s third time as a winner, having received the prize in 2020 and again in 2025.
“Over 80% of what we produce at the farm is meat. So being able to come up with delicious, fun, inspired recipes with ingredients you can pronounce really became kind of a mission of ours,” Bolourchi said.
The pate uses trim such as collars and tails, which are double smoked, much like classic barbecue burnt ends. It’s mixed in with caramelized onions, Dijon mustard, ricotta, cream cheese and lemon zest, and whipped into a silky spread.
“It kind of tastes almost like a bacon of the sea dip,” Bolourchi said.
At $8.99 for a six-ounce tub, it’s a taste of affordable luxury. Consider it caviar-adjacent.
Tsar Nicoulai products are available at Whole Foods, Costco and direct order from its website.
