A culinary expert shares why bumps belong on your cheese board, along with pairing suggestions
Author’s Note: New Caviar Dream customers get 15% off their first order. Use the code “WELCOME15.”
If you ask Kendra Anderson—chef, sommelier, and the CEO behind Caviar Dream—fish roe doesn’t have to be fancy. In fact, it can be the opposite: playful and accessible.
“No one would ever say, ‘I’m not a french fry person,'” says Anderson. “But they do with caviar and it’s because of the messaging that we’ve all been bombarded with: one of extreme elegance, extreme wealth, extreme inaccessibility.”
Her caviar company grew out of her lived experience as a sommelier, which exposed her to traditional caviar preparations on a frequent basis. In 2017, when she opened her first bar—Denver’s Bar Helix—she decided that caviar was the perfect elevated menu item. That is, with Pringles and tater tots, since she was experimenting with featuring high-low pairings without a full kitchen. “[I] enjoy pushing the envelope for people with caviar knowing that most people don’t know that much about it,” she says.
Anderson closed Bar Helix during COVID and moved to Chicago, but caviar never left her mind. While buying some for herself one day, she realized there weren’t any black-owned caviar brands on the market. That realization set her Caviar Dream in motion. Anderson’s timing couldn’t be more perfect; it seems as though caviar is in vogue with everyone, from TikTokers to McDonald’s.
“I thought about what it would take to make caviar seem more approachable to a group of people for whom it would never have shown up on their tables,” Anderson explains. “They would likely never have been in rooms where caviar was offered to them and they would certainly not have had any opportunity to ask any questions about it or see it presented with food items that they would perhaps feel more inclined to try.” Cue: cheese and Anderson’s culinary school background.
Anderson’s guidance on pairing cheese and caviar is all about moving out of an intimidating space and into a curious one. “The road to people’s hearts when it comes to caviar is often through a familiar food that they already know and love,” she says. Each of her tried-and-true pairings feature a different Caviar Dream caviar, too; whether you’re trying caviar for the first time or a seasoned connoisseur, there’s something for everyone in this list. Grab a friend, a tin, and dig in.
Smoked Trout Roe + Chèvre
Caviar notes: Refreshing & smoky gravlax, with a lively pop
“Our smoked trout roe is really special. We like it because it is a really great entry point for folks. While it isn’t true caviar, it allows people to start to explore the category and familiarize themselves with something that might not be quite as intimidating. We source it from Denmark, which is sort of known for really having a great handle on all things roe. However, we smoke it here in the US once we receive it, and it’s a cold smoking procedure. This allows the roe to remain extremely fresh and juicy in terms of texture. We feel it gives a boba type of experience in the mouth. … not overwhelming with a bright acidity.”
Cheese Pairing Vibe: Bagel & schmear
“The reason I love it with chèvre is because when I think about that smoky, juicy flavor, I just think about a bagel spread with cream cheese or softened goat cheese. I’m from New York City originally, so I love a good bagel schmear. I also think that chèvre is a good entry point for a cheese lover.”
Kaluga Hybrid + Manchego
Caviar notes: Earthy, creamy, umami-forward
“[Kaluga Hybrid] is a hybrid of two different species of sturgeon, male and female. They were crossbred to create a new sturgeon variety. What people love about it, and why I love it with cheese, is that it has the most creamy, buttery, nutty flavor. People tend to give us descriptions like earthy, [but] I really like to say it gives umami. It’s kind of salty and earthy, yet it’s cheesy and kind of creamy. It just melts in your mouth. The word ‘seabutter’ comes up to describe our Kaluga Hybrid.”
Cheese Pairing Vibe: Buttertown
“When I bite into a slice of Manchego, I get that spark of saltiness. It’s a beautiful compliment for that umami flavor that’s coming from the Kaluga. If you just want to go straight to Buttertown, put it on a club cracker, or a Ritz cracker.”
Royal Siberian + Parrano
Caviar notes: Bright and creamy
“Royal Siberian merges bright acidity and deep creaminess. A lot of people are used to caviar that goes into either of those two categories, but not so much one caviar that really showcases both. They’re usually expecting big brininess and saltiness, or they may have had caviar that gives them buttery feels, like the Kaluga. Siberian is going to give you the best of both worlds.”
Cheese Pairing Vibe: Brine and Tyrosine Crystals
“This one was a surprise for me, but I absolutely love it. Parrano is my favorite cheese. I love the color. I love that crinkly salty textural thing that happens when you get a bite of it. I love that it pairs with fruits and everything from savory to sweet. I live to find any excuse to put something delicious on it. Siberian reminds me of that same brightness that you get when you first bite into Parrano. When I get this really bright hit of salinity from that caviar on top of that luscious, but also bright and briny cheese, I’m just in heaven.
I will say that I really like to make a grilled cheese or quesadilla and sprinkle in some of this Parrano cheese. And when you add Siberian to that, you might not leave the house again.”
Classic Osetra + Saint André
Caviar notes: Rich, salty, classic
“Osetra is creamy, buttery, and salty, but it does still give that flavor profile that people think caviar tastes like, even if they’ve never had it. It is briny. It is salty. It does have some butteriness, though not as much as the Kaluga Hybrid. It gives more of a brine that I think people really can resonate with, almost like an olive.”
Cheese Pairing Vibe: Treat yourself
“This pairing’s richness on richness on richness. This is when too much is never too much—for people who want to live their most fabulous life.
Take your Saint André out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature so it’s nice and smooshy. For this one, I’m wanting a piece of baguette to smear that glorious cheese on. Weirdly, a soft pretzel is also amazing. Even a savory Belgian waffle, if you really want to get crazy. Then dollop on the Osetra with some chives—[Osetra] adds some contrast to that over-the-top richness of Saint André. A pro tip for this one would be to add a piece of Jamón Ibérico or prosciutto for absolute decadence.”
Alana Pedalino
Alana Pedalino serves as Managing Editor of culture. Her work has been featured in Bon Appétit, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and more. She loves to write, cook, and kayak. Find her bylines at alanapedalino.com.
