Black caviar is a traditional snack for the most traditional Russian drink, that is, vodka. The true connoisseurs just eat the vodka with caviar, scooping it with an iconic spoon. The famous singer Fedor Shalyapin first ate caviar and then drank a pile of vodka («The caviar is not eaten, its vodka is drinkable», he said). A slightly salty fat taste of caviar is only underlined by a sip of «fire water».
The Russian tradition involves the use of black caviar as an appetizer for cooled vodka. The alcohol must not contain any special flavor additives such as hot peppers or pine nuts. A sip of ordinary Russian vodka only highlights the brackish greasy taste of this delicacy.
Black caviar is ideal for a feast where strong spirits are present. Such an appetizer not only eliminates the acute taste of alcohol but also protects the body from its negative influence. In addition, caviar is absorbed very quickly within an hour, which is especially relevant when there are many different dishes on the table. It can be served as a pancake filling, on small toast with butter, on half of a cool chicken or quail egg. According to many celebrities, black caviar and vodka is wonderful cookery tandem.
Although Russian traditions in the use of caviar had reached other countries, they certainly had to change. In France, another classical combination - caviar and champagne - was born. It is a good sparkling wine that perfectly combines with the contrasting salty flavor of caviar.