Pearl Street’s caviar consists of sturgeon eggs and a little bit of salt from the Alps.
We source all of our caviar exclusively from farms located on natural, high-flow waterways. Selling wild-caught caviar is illegal in the US, so we select farms whose waters ensure the fish are exposed to the same vitamins and minerals that sturgeon find in the wild. Often, these farms are located along rivers that start in high-elevation forests and end in large lakes.
Harvesting is initiated in cold-water months to maintain the eggs’ flavor and firm structure, after which the caviar is shipped directly to our headquarters in Brooklyn.
Our team of three caviar specialists then nurture, turn, and age each caviar into its optimal flavor, maturity, and presentation for our clients.
When an order is placed, we immediately pack the caviar into tins and deliver or ship them as desired.
Authenticity
- in our farms Sturgeon aquaculture began as a response to overfishing and disruption of the industry during the fall of the Soviet Union. Given the one to two decades that it takes sturgeon to reproduce, most farms have only been operating for a generation or two. The quality of farmed caviar has been steadily improving over the last decade, but there is much more for us to learn; this passion for continued discovery is something we value greatly in our partner farms. At each new farm we work with, we begin our relationship by visiting their farm and harvesting caviar with them, learning their process and ensuring it aligns with our standards.
- in our work Our caviar technicians are trained to select and prepare the finest caviar, ensuring it is at peak quality when you crack open the tin. We receive the eggs anywhere between hours and a few days of their harvest and salting. Their immediate flavor is very light, akin to seawater. Our technicians then keep the caviar at an optimal temperature and riddle it periodically to retain moisture; they carry the difficult task of both regulating and accentuating seasonal variance in the caviar. Time and temperature continue to develop the eggs, encouraging the natural flavors to emerge. When a batch is ready, it is selected and carefully hand-packed to our exacting standard. We then vacuum-pack the tins, limiting oxygen exposure to slow further aging as much as possible. When you open the tin, it's just as it was the day we packed it.
Sustainability
A core tenant of Pearl Street since founding, sustainability is woven into our practices from sourcing to packaging.
For each domesticated sturgeon we receive, our farms’ hatcheries fertilize eggs and contribute fry (baby sturgeon) to the Amur, L'Eyre, Utva, and other river systems to contribute to repopulating wild sturgeon in their native waterways. Additionally, to reduce the effects of farming on natural waterways, our farms favor local and organic feed when available.
Our goal is to maximize the environmental efficiency of our small footprint. For factors outside of our direct control, we tap into our network to ensure that our investment is aligned with our ethos and drives environmental innovation in aquaculture.
Packaging
In every delivery, we keep your caviar cool with the least environmentally impactful icepacks available. When wrapping your caviar, we utilize excess fashion magazines. For shipments, we insulate using natural, low-grade (textile waste) wool.
Pearl Street was born from a thirst for adventure and a love for the sea. Our founder began their career sailing the New York Harbor and bartending in downtown Manhattan. While working, they became curious about caviar, and why it seemed stuck in exclusive environments and fancy events. Why wasn’t caviar for the everyday?
The answer to this question was found in the history of caviar. In the late 1800s, North America was a leading producer of caviar (notably including the Hudson River). In the century following, caviar continued to rise in popularity, reaching an all time high in consumption and exposure in the 1980s. However, overfishing, habitat loss, and political factors in high-production regions greatly reduced availability, and therefore consumption, into just 3% of its former levels in the late 2000s.
In 2018, with caviar’s storied history in mind, our founder officially made it their mission to coax the memory and reputation of caviar back into our everyday lives, where it belongs. Pearl Street is here to elevate your everyday.
In 2018, with caviar’s storied history in mind, our founder officially made it their mission to coax the memory and reputation of caviar back into our everyday lives, where it belongs. Pearl Street is here to elevate your everyday.
