beluga caviar

food

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 22, 2026

Quick Summary

The term "beluga caviar" refers to the eggs, or roe, of the beluga sturgeon, a type of fish. This caviar is preserved with salt and is typically eaten as an appetizer. It is considered a delicacy and is often expensive due to its rarity.12

Beluga caviar is graded based on the size and color of the eggs, with the largest and most prized being black or gray. True caviar primarily comes from sturgeon found in the Caspian and Black Seas, with Russia and Iran being major producers. The term "beluga" can also refer to a small, toothed whale found in the Arctic Ocean, which is unrelated to the sturgeon. Additionally, "beluga lentil" refers to a small, black lentil seed.23145

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

5 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

caviar
…which the eggs are taken: beluga, the largest, is black or gray; the smaller osetrova grayish, gray-green, or brown; sevruga, the smallest, is greenish black. The rarest caviar, made from the golden eggs of the sterlet, was formerly reserved for the table of the tsar; more recently it found its…
Read More
…which the eggs are taken: beluga, the largest, is black or gray; the smaller osetrova grayish, gray-green, or brown; sevruga, the smallest, is greenish black. The rarest caviar, made from the golden eggs of the sterlet, was formerly reserved for the table of the tsar; more recently it found its…
Read More