Something Fishy From China

Imagine the world's finest caviar and you're likely dreaming of Beluga from the Russian or Iranian shores of the Caspian Sea. Or perhaps you salivate at the prospect of eggs from Siberian sturgeon raised in the lap of luxury on a French aquafarm.

But what about Chinese caviar from man-made Qiandaohu Lake, whose waters are better known for the part they play in the production of a favorite local beer?

A handful of top chefs in restaurants in Hong Kong have recently turned to Chinese caviar, including from sturgeon farmed in Qiandaohu, a popular scenic spot a couple of hours drive from the city of Hangzhou.

The caviar has been sold exclusively since 2008 under the Russian-sounding brand name "Rusalka" by Swiss caviar supplier Planet Caviar. Rusalka caviar is made entirely in China, where the fish are farmed and the eggs are washed, sieved, and salted. After processing, the eggs are sent to Switzerland and stored at the firm's Geneva headquarters.

The Chinese caviar sells for about US$1,300 a kilogram, one-tenth the cost of wild caviar from the Caspian, which Planet Caviar also sells. "The price is much cheaper for caviar from farmed sturgeon compared to those in the wild. And also labor in China is so much cheaper," says Jean-Pascal Salvaj, a partner at Planet Caviar.

So how does the farmed Chinese variety stack up?

"It's better [than Beluga caviar]," says Sebastian Lepinoy, executive chef at Hong Kong's C page restaurant, which boasts a Michelin star. "Have you seen the Caspian Sea? It's so polluted. But the water at this lake in [Zhejiang] is pristine, and the sturgeon are fished every two months so your caviar is fresh."

Mr. Lepinoy, who uses the Chinese caviar in several of his dishes, also says that because the cost is lower, he can be more generous--using a heaping 12-gram spoon of it in his potato salad, for instance. Most restaurant servings of caviar are under 8 grams, he says.

Mr. Salvaj has sold Chinese caviar to a number of top hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong, including L'Atelier de J el Robuchon. The Rusalka caviar eggs are about two to 3.5 millimeters in diameter, slightly smaller than Beluga caviar, and light gray in color. A quick taste test suggests the caviar is not fishy or oversalted and that the eggs have a distinctive pop when bitten into, with a creamy consistency after.

Nor is Rusalka alone: It has at least four or five serious Chinese rivals. Erik Idos, executive chef of Nobu restaurant in Hong Kong, uses farmed caviar from Dongjiang Lake in Hunan province, supplied by Hong Kong-based J&A Fine Foods. He pairs it with salmon-belly tartar and says some diners have asked to purchase an entire tin for the table. He adds that he plans to use more at the new Nobu restaurant in Beijing, officially opening in April.

Chefs, he says, are slowly starting to overcome the view that China cannot produce premium ingredients. "With caviar, it is," he says. "But not so with all things. The Chinese truffles are not right yet. The texture is mushy and it doesn't have that deep earthy truffle fragrance."

At C page, the menu does not state the provenance of the caviar, but Mr. Lepinoy says its not because he's worried about what diners would think. "Some of the diners are surprised [when they find out that the caviar comes from China,]" he says. "But not in a bad way. All they have to do is taste the caviar to know that it's good."