Facts about caviar and roe compared with seaweed caviar
Here is a review of different types of caviar / roe and how our kelpcaviar can be used instead.
Lumpfish roe versus seaweed caviar
Facts about the lumpfish and lumpfish roe:
The Latin name for the lumpfish is: Cyclopterus lumpus. The fish is caught off the coasts of Greenland, Norway, Iceland and Canada.
The fish is up to 65 cm long, and weighs up to 5 kilograms. The lumpfish can carry between 100,000-200,000 eggs.
The lumpfish caviar is approx. 1.5mm in size. The roe is therefore among the smaller types of caviar.
The roe is naturally pink in colour. In the industry, the caviar is coloured before being sold to the supermarkets. Most often, the roe is coloured black or red, but it is also available in orange, yellow or green. The colour often stains on e.g. open egg sandwiches – especially in the case of black lumpfish roe.
The taste is salty and slightly fishy. It pops nicely on the tongue and has a fresh taste.
How is the lumpfish roe used? It is largely used for starters, canapés etc. In some countries caviar is used in pasta and fish dishes.
There are problems with lumpfish stocks!
Fishing for lumpfish is declining due to falling stocks. As a result, the WWF has red-listed the lumpfish in several countries and recommends that it is eaten wisely. See their reports here: WWF Seafood guide!
Also, take a look at our guide about roe vs caviar
Our alternative:
Our replacement for lumpfish roe is Cavi·art®. Our product is similar to lumpfish roe and can easily replace it – in the kitchen, in the industry or in restaurants. Seaweed caviar is the sustainable alternative to lumpfish roe.
Our kelp caviar has a number of advantages when using, compared to lumpfish roe. Read more about it here:
Capelin / masago versus seaweed caviar
Facts about the capelin and capelin roe/masago:
The Latin name for the capelin is: Mallotus villosus. The fish is caught off the coasts of Greenland, Norway and Iceland.
The fish is 11-20 cm, and weighs between 25-50 grams. The capelin can carry between 6,000-30,000 eggs.
The capelin roe is approx. 0.5mm in size. The roe is among the smallest types of caviar used.
The roe is naturally whitish/yellowish is colour. The caviar is typically coloured before being sold to supermarkets and restaurants. The capelin roe is coloured black, red, yellow, orange or green.
How is capelin roe used? The roe is often used for the production of masago – a caviar that is widely used for sushi. Capelin caviar is also used in the industry for e.g. tarama or tube caviar. In addition, the roe is used as a substitute for lumpfish roe, as it is a cheaper raw material.
The taste is salty and slight fishy – masago is mixed with brandy, vinegar and sugar. It is crisp in texture.
The stocks of capelin are declining, which is critical for other fish stocks, as the capelin is important food for larger predator fish including cod.
Get more knowledge about masago in our article, right here.
Our alternative to capelin roe:
We have a sustainable replacement for capelin roe. Tosago® can replace masago, the version of capelin roe used for sushi. Cavi·Art® products can replace capelin roe in the industry and in the supermarket.
Our seaweed caviar has a number of advantages in its use compared to capelin roe. Read more about it here:
Facts about Cod roe versus seaweed caviar.
The Latin name for cod is: Gadus morhua.
The fish is 40-80 cm and weighs up to 30 kg, but often weighs 6-7kg. The cod carries around 1,000,000 eggs.
The cod roe is approx. 0.5mm in size. The roe is among the small types of caviar used.
The roe is naturally pink in colour.
How is cod roe used? Cod roe is either sold in tins or in industrial production for various blends.
The taste is slightly salty with a hint of the sea.
Cod is under pressure, due to e.g. climate change. This means that there are areas where the EU has now banned cod fishing.
Learn more about seaweed caviar in this article.
Our alternative to cod roe:
As an alternative to cod roe, we have developed a special version of Cavi·Art® – it is smaller in size and a nice pink in colour. The product is of course, sustainable.
Much cod roe is used for tube caviar – in collaboration with a Swedish partner, we have developed a vegan alternative to Kalles caviar!
Facts about Flying fish and tobiko versus seaweed caviar.
The Latin name for the flying fish is: Exocoetidae.
The fish is up to 30 cm in size and can weigh up to 1 kg.
Flying fish roe is approx.1.5mm in size.
The roe is naturally pink in colour.
How is flying fish roe used? It is used for sushi under the name tobiko – however, it is a very expensive product and therefore only the better sushi restaurants use tobiko.
Tobiko is sweet in taste as sugar and mirin are added. It is wonderfully crunchy and delicious on sushi.
Our alternative to tobiko:
We have developed Tosago®. It is a seaweed-based sustainable alternative to tobiko. Our product is easy to work with and comes in a variety of attractive colours.
Facts about herring and herring roe versus kelp caviar.
The Latin name for herring is: Clupea harengus.
The fish is normally 17-25 cm in size, and can weigh up to 1 kg, but typically 175-400 grams.
Herring roe is approx. 0.5mm in size.
The roe is naturally whitish in colour. The roe is often coloured before it is sold in supermarkets or to restaurants.
How is herring roe used? It is used as a cheaper substitute for lumpfish roe and is sold coloured in supermarkets. Furthermore, it is popular in the industry due to the low price.
Herring roe has a salty, fresh taste.
Our alternative to herring roe:
We produce a smaller version of Cavi·art®. The product is a vegan sustainable alternative to herring roe. If you would like to test the product in your production, please contact us.
Facts about salmon and salmon roe versus seaweed caviar.
The Latin name for salmon is: Salmo salar
The fish is up to 160 cm in size and weighs around 20 kg.
The salmon roe is approx. 4-5 mm in size and is among the largest fish roe.
The roe varies in colour – it can be anything from yellowish to orange to completely dark red.
How is salmon roe used? It is used to give a strong, bold and delicious taste to dishes. The product is widely used in retail and food service.
Our alternative to salmon roe:
We have developed two versions as alternatives to salmon roe: Ket·art® and a special version of Cavi·art®. The products are both sustainable alternatives to salmon roe.
Our products contain oil in order to provide the same sensation as when eating salmon roe.
Facts about trout and trout roe versus seaweed caviar.
The Latin name for this salmonid fish is: Salmo trutta.
The fish is normally 30-40 cm in size and weighs around 5-6 kg.
The trout roe is approx. 3 mm in size and is among the largest fish roes.
Trout roe is a glossy orange in colour.
How is trout roe used? It is used to provide a strong, bold and delicious taste to dishes. It is often used as a cheaper alternative to salmon roe. The product is widely used in retail and food service.
Our alternative to trout roe:
The products we have developed as alternatives to salmon roe: Ket·art® and a version of Cavi·art® are also alternatives to trout roe.
Facts about sturgeon and genuine caviar versus seaweed caviar.
The Latin name for the beluga sturgeon is: Huso huso.
The fish is normally 140-330 cm in size and weighs 19-264 kg. So it’s an enormous fish
The genuine caviar is approx. 1.5mm in size.
The roe can be anything from golden to greenish and has a fantastic iridescence.
How is genuine caviar used? It is a very special delicacy, that should be enjoyed on its own without much else – ideally with a glass of champagne. The taste is creamy, intense and extremely delicious.
Our alternative to genuine caviar:
We have developed a special version, we call Belug·art®. It is larger than our normal Cavi-art® and has a more intense taste.
Facts about vendace and vendace roe versus seaweed caviar.
The Latin name for the vendace is: Coregonus albula.
The fish is normally 10-20 cm in size.
The vendace roe is approx. 1.5mm in size.
It is orange in colour with a darker spot in the middle.
How is vendace roe used? It is a delicacy that is particularly enjoyed in Sweden. It is often used as a starter or for fish dishes.
The taste of vendace roe is fresh and rich. A delicacy.
Our alternative to vendace roe:
We have developed a special version we call Ket·art®. The product is vegan and has a hint of oil to convey the same experience as when eating vendace roe.
Facts about our seaweed caviar – Cavi·art®.
Where does the seaweed come from? Our sustainably harvested seaweed comes from the French and Norwegian coasts.
We create our seaweed caviar products in Denmark at our own production facility in Herning.
Our Cavi·art® is produced in sizes from 0.5mm – 5mm.
Our seaweed caviar is coloured with natural colours and comes in black, red, yellow, green, orange and many more.
We have many different flavour versions adapted to different markets and purposes.
