Question about Kalles Kaviar from Northerner

[snusbear1]

Just for kicks, and because I was feeling even more infatuated than usual with all things Scandinavian, I threw in a tube of Kalles Kaviar (original) and a tube of Fjällbrynt Messmör with my last snus order from Northerner. They're . . ah . . well . . different!! The Messmör is advertized as a "whey cheese," but it seems more like a type of soft butter to me. And it's so darn sweet and vanilla-ish, I can't figure out if it's supposed to be a type of butter spread or a dessert topping! It's not bad, though, just kind of strange. (But then who am I, as a foreigner, to judge that a product loved by millions in another culture is "strange" - "strange" in relation to what?!)

I have a question regarding the Kalles Kaviar, though. Namely, I am very aware that caviar (at least the version I'm used to, whole sturgeon roe, as opposed to Swedish-style mashed up cod roe mixed with tomato puree in a tube) is HIGHLY perishable and ideally should be stored under refrigeration for as short a time as possible when unopened, and once opened should be consumed that very same day.

The "Kaviar" I received from Northerner, though, took over a week of (unrefrigerated) time to arrive by post, and according to the packaging it has an opened shelf-life of several months!! Is there some way in which Swedish Kaviar differs from "regular," or "Russian-style," caviar in its processing and handling which can give it such a long shelf-life?

I ask for two reasons:
1) I'm a total obsessive-compulsive freak regarding food safety and health issues (I work in the restaurant industry), ESPECIALLY regarding seafood; and
2) While the "regular" caviar I've had in the past (Beluga sturgeon roe from the Caspian sea) has a decidedly "briny" taste to it, sort of that of an "ocean spray," so to speak, it is also pleasant and delicious, while the Swedish "Kalles Kaviar" is very "fishy" tasting.

My question: is Swedish-style "Kaviar" in the tube just supposed to be a really strong, fishy, acquired taste (which I may or may not ever acquire!), OR did taking it DAYS to ship it UNREFRIGERATED (i.e., not in a frig-pak) all the way from Sweden through God-only-knows-what routing channels here in the U.S. to Florida result in it "turning" on me?

If Kalles Kaviar is just supposed to taste that strong and fishy, then I will just accept that fact (after all, we're talking about Sweden, a country where people eat surströmming, herring fermented to the point that the can starts to bulge and almost bursts, and gets so foul-smelling that it's only eaten outdoors to keep it from stinking up the house!! Kalles Kaviar must be rather tame by comparison!).

On the other hand, if Kalles Kaviar is supposed to have the delicate and piquant taste of Caspian caviar and I just got a bad batch due to inadequate shipping methods, I'll be getting my money back from Northerner.

[RobME]

Goggle it. Similarity to the real thing is in name only. You got what you were supposed to get.

[snusbear1]

Goggle it. Similarity to the real thing is in name only. You got what you were supposed to get.

Thanks. I did, in fact, Google it for some time before reluctantly inconveniencing my friends here for an answer. And I am also quite aware of the fact that $1.00 (or less) an ounce mashed cod roe "caviar" cannot be expected to live up to the standards of $100.00 (or more) an ounce Caspian whole Beluga caviar.

But I'm afraid you might have missed the point of my question. Things are good or bad only in the context of their own expected value. I know that a $3.00 chopped "steak" from Waffle House is not going to be of the same quality as a $20.00 sirloin from Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. But I still expect that the $3.00 Waffle House "steak" is going to live up to its OWN standard of expected value and be as good as it can be within its own limitations, and if the meat turns out to be rancid or putrid, then I'm going to send it back, even if I don't expect that much from it, and even IF it cost only three bucks!!

My question was whether the incredibly strong fishy taste of Kalles Kaviar is the EXPECTED experience from that product, or it's supposed to taste fresher and I just got a bad batch. If the former, then so be it - that's just the Swedish taste, I suppose. But if the latter, if it is in fact spoiled due to negligent shipping and handling, then that's a different matter entirely, and the question of whether I, as you say, "got what [I was] supposed to get" remains open.

[Northerner.com]

Dear Snusbear1

There is no problem of eating the Kalles caviar even with a 1 week delivery. It can last a long time if it's not opened. The caviar inside the unopened tube is sealed in a vacuum bacteria protected safe environment. We have shipped thousands of Kalles Cavair tubes to USA for almost 10 years now and never received a complaint about the food quality.

But please put the tube in the refridgerator becuase it taste better when it's served cold.

One tip: here in Sweden it's very popular to serve it like this:
sliced toasted white bread + butter + sliced 5-7 minute boiled egg + Kalles caviar sprayed over like a "snake" formation + dill. This sandwich is my personal favourite and I enjoy it every Saturday and Sunday breakfast - please enjoy
Frank at Northerner.com

[snusbear1]

Thank you Northerner.com for that incredibly speedy reply!!!!

You guys are, and will remain, one of my favorite sites for online ordering (in fact, I'm getting low on snus and need to put an order in over the next day or two - expect to hear from me soon!).

And thank you so much for the explanation regarding Kalles Kaviar!! I now know that the taste of the Kaviar is one which, for me at least, will have to continue to be acquired, and I will continue to make my sliced egg sandwiches with Kalles Kaviar (as I saw pictured on Wikipedia under "Swedish Cuisine") because of 1) my infatuation with doing things the "Swedish way," and 2) my knowledge that increasing my fish consumption is extremely healthy, especially in light of the documentation regarding the health benefits of Omega-3 oils.

Over the last couple of years I trained myself to enjoy Japanese Sushi (now I love it), and I'm sure I can do the same with Swedish Kaviar. It's just a matter of getting used to it.

Thanks again!

[RobME]

Re: Question about Kalles Kaviar from Northerner

I guess you got what you were supposed to get. :lol: Not exactly the delicate and piquant taste of Russian Beluga? :lol: Didn't realize you were buying the Roe equivalent of Spam huh?

Hey, I'm just kidding with ya... :wink:

Please... you HAVE to tell me where you shop & dine though, because I'd LOVE to know which Ruth's Chris serves any of their steaks for only $20.00.... and also just where I can get an oz. of Beluga for only $100.

Maybe what you thought was Beluga, was only Osetra or Sevruga, (you could get those for about $100 I guess). Still pretty excellent though.

I'm glad Northerner came to your aid. They're pretty excellent too.

[RobsanX]

I just threw away my tube last night. I don't mind that it has a fishy flavor. My objection is that the flavor coats your tongue and doesn't go away for a long time... I guess it's all about what you're accustomed to...

[Starcadia]

I grew up with Kalles, and always enjoyed it. The variety with dill is my favorite. In my experience an unopened tube of Kalles will last a very, very long time, and an opened one will last a long time as well. We always refrigerated it, whether or not it was opened. The flavor is indeed very strong and spicy/fishy and will remain in the mouth for a long time.

Messmör ("smör" means "butter") and Mesost ("ost" means "cheese") are definitely an acquired taste as well. I for one never acquired it. :x

[snusbear1]

Re: Question about Kalles Kaviar from Northerner

I guess you got what you were supposed to get. :lol: Not exactly the delicate and piquant taste of Russian Beluga? :lol: Didn't realize you were buying the Roe equivalent of Spam huh?

Please... you HAVE to tell me where you shop & dine though, because I'd LOVE to know which Ruth's Chris serves any of their steaks for only $20.00.... and also just where I can get an oz. of Beluga for only $100.

Hey RobME-
Yeah, you're right about the price figures - I was just throwing out numbers for purposes of analogy without really thinking about it - I WAS lowballing it!!

And AGAIN for the last time I REALIZE that Kalles Kaviar is the "spam" equivalent of caviar. My question was whether the really fishy taste of Kalles Kaviar is how it's supposed to be, or if it was the result of spending all that time in the warm sun during shipping. Frank from Northerner.com answered that question for me, and I am satisfied with his answer.

[ponysoprano]

wow. this whole thread was making me sick until Northerner popped in with their handy little recipe. Maybe I'll order some Swe-Cav

[RobsanX]

wow. this whole thread was making me sick until Northerner popped in with their handy little recipe. Maybe I'll order some Swe-Cav

Go ahead. It's cheap enough to try without worry.

[airwoodstock]

I remember Kalles as a kid as well. My grandma always had a tube of it in the fridge! By it's self........ :shock: but, the way Frank uses it, it's pretty good!

You REALLY have to like the flavor of cod roe though to like it. Just my opinion.

[snusbear1]

wow. this whole thread was making me sick until Northerner popped in with their handy little recipe. Maybe I'll order some Swe-Cav

The sliced boiled egg and Kaviar smörgås (open-faced sandwich) that Frank refers to certainly seems popular in Sweden (there's a close-up picture of this sandwich next to a tube of Kalles HERE), but my mistake was putting too much of the Kaviar on it when I first tried it, before letting my tastebuds get used to the stuff. Kind of like the first time I tried Marmite - I put way too much of it on the buttered bread and almost ended up running out of the room screaming, "I've been poisoned!!!".

Another mistake I made when I received my order and first tried the Kalles Kaviar smörgås was using the Fjällbrynt Messmör on the bread rather than plain butter - that was just too many new taste sensations to process all at once. Plus, the two products really don't seem to complement each other well in a single food item - they're more "either/or" rather than "both/and." The Messmör is advertised as "mildly sweet" with a "mild" vanilla taste - but to me, it's very sweet, with an overpowering vanilla taste (maybe not for a dessert item, granted, but for something that's supposed to be used as a type of butter?!).

Anyway, one thing I've found that will minimize the sensation of the Kaviar "coating your tongue and lasting a long time" which RobsanX refers to, at least while you're getting used to it, is simply to use a little bit of it on a piece of knäckebröd (crispbread, or "hard tack"). The crunch of the knäckebröd seems to cut through the tendency of the Kaviar to linger on the tongue. Amazingly, the other day I was able to purchase Wasa Crispbread at Wal-Mart, in the cracker aisle - this in a hick town like Tallahassee, where people's idea of gourmet cooking is using regular grits instead of instant!! Will wonders never cease.

[Northerner.com]

Hi Snusbear1

Yes the Fjällbrynt Messmör carry a very unique flavour. It's a soft cheese variation of the Norwegian hard cheese.

A tip for the Fjällbrynt Messmör: a sliced soft white bread + Fjällbrynt Messmör + a cup of hot chocolate - that is perfect on picknick a cold winter day or a hot summer day at the beach - I saw you come from Florida :P

[Gowrie]

Is Kaviar in the same league as anchovy paste?