Caviar
Caviar is a high-fat, high-cholesterol, high-protein, low-carbohydrate food. It is extremely high in sodium (650 mg/oz.) and, ounce for ounce, contains twice as much calcium as milk.
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Low-cholesterol, controlled-fat diet
Low-salt/low-sodium diet
Look for: Shiny, translucent, large-grained gray fresh caviar (sturgeon roe) with a clean aroma.
Look for: Tightly sealed tins and jars of less expensive roe. Lumpfish roe is small-grained and usually black. Cod, salmon, carp, pike, and tuna roe are large-grained and orangey red or pinkish.
Store fresh caviar in the coldest part of the refrigerator; it will spoil within hours at temperatures above 39°F.
Store jars of caviar in a cool, dark place.
Always serve caviar in a dish (or jar) nestled in ice to keep it safe at room temperature. The roe contains so much salt that it will not freeze.
When making canapés, add the caviar last so that the oil does not spread and discolor the other ingredients.
Pressing. Pressed caviar is caviar with 10 percent of its moisture removed. As a result it contains more nutrients per ounce than regular caviar and is even higher in sodium.
MAO inhibitors. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors are drugs used as antidepressants or antihypertensives. They inhibit the action of enzymes that break down tyramine, a natural by-product of protein metabolism. Tyramine is a pressor amine, a chemical that constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. If you eat a food that contains tyramine while you are taking an MAO inhibitor, the pressor amine cannot be eliminated from your body and the result could be a hypertensive crisis (sustained elevated blood pressure). Caviar contains small amounts of tyramine.
