Meet the Asian and Chinese caviar producers who have been adapting this age-old delicacy to the demands of the region—and carving out a new future for caviar in the process
This story was first published on May 18, 2021, and updated on October 27, 2022. Additional reporting by Amanda Goh.
For the past decade in Asia, gin has been the poster child for the localisation of an overseas food invention—today, there are hundreds of gin brands across the continent, from Malaysia to India and South Korea. Much less known and arguably just as much of a success story, however, is the Asian caviar boom that has been underway since at least the late 2000s.
While the number of caviar producers in the region comes nowhere near that of gin—largely due to the massive investment of time and money, and high degree of uncertainty that budding sturgeon farmers must contend with before reaching profitability—the flourishing of a distinctly Asian caviar landscape is a feat unto itself, considering the region's vastly different environment to that of the sturgeon's traditional home in Siberia and the Caspian Sea.
In doing so, they have created a product that not only equals Russian or Iranian caviar in quality, but in some cases even surpasses that—all the while achieving a lower price point that has made caviar more accessible than it has ever been.
That China today is unequivocally considered the world's largest producer of high-quality caviar today (farming one-third of global caviar production) is a resounding testament to the role that Asia will play in the future of the luxury delicacy. Below, we round up the most prominent Asian caviar producers to look out for.
Read more: How Sustainable Delicacies Like Farmed Caviar Are Inspiring Singapore's Top Chefs
1. Singapore
This Singapore-based company offers eight types of caviar, harvested from various types of sturgeon, that range from Baerii caviar to Beluga caviar. As an eco-centric company, the caviar they offer is only sourced from sustainable production and from professionally managed farms. Harvesting the roe from these fish isn’t an easy feat—the roe first needs to be cleaned and rubbed against mesh screens, to help separate the eggs from the membrane. It’s then rinsed with cold water, salted, and drained, before being packaged and aged.
Serving more than 30 top-end restaurants in Singapore, you are likely to have savoured their precious gems complementing the masterful creations of your favourite chefs. Find out more here.