Chapter 58: A Genius Combination

In the live stream chat:

"I’ve had the same dish the streamer is eating at a French restaurant in Modu. The taste was... hard to describe."

"Is that caviar on top? I hear caviar is super expensive!"

"Haven’t you guys seen that movie? Caviar is sold by the gram!"

"What exactly is caviar?"

"Aren’t fish eggs just roe? Doesn’t every fish have them? Why is a ’sauce’ made from fish eggs so expensive?"

"The plating is so exquisite! It’s like a work of art!"

Seeing the confusion from some viewers in the chat, Li Xiao began to explain:

"In the culinary world outside of Xia Country, caviar, black truffles, and foie gras are known as the world’s three most luxurious delicacies."

"Caviar is indeed fish roe, but not all fish roe can be made into caviar. Only roe from sturgeon is considered true caviar."

"When people talk about caviar, many pale at the thought, seeing it as an unattainable luxury that makes them shrink back."

"However, that’s actually a misconception."

"There are many types of caviar, with vastly different prices."

"While some exceptional quality caviars are expensive, there are also affordable options."

"Different caviars are made from the roe of different types of sturgeon. For example, the common shovelnose sturgeon only needs to be seven years old before its roe can be harvested."

"Due to their short growth cycle and high yield, the caviar made from these fish is relatively inexpensive and widely popular. However, the downsides are also obvious: it has a slightly stronger fishy taste, the pearls are smaller, and the texture is just average."

"You can typically buy a small jar of this caviar for just a few dozen yuan. While this affordable type has its drawbacks, its low price and high yield actually make it quite popular."

As he spoke, Li Xiao scooped up a small spoonful of caviar with a spoon and held it up to the camera.

"This caviar right here, however, is clearly a bit more luxurious."

"While it’s not the top-tier Beluga Caviar, it is the next level down: Oscietra Caviar."

"The price for this Oscietra Caviar is usually over 8,000 yuan per 500 grams."

"In some special years, if the caviar harvest is reduced due to climate or ocean currents, the price can soar to over 10,000 yuan per 500 grams."

"As for the highest-grade Beluga Caviar, it’s basically impossible to find on the open market."

"Because the international fishing association limits the catch of beluga sturgeon each year, only 1,000 can be harvested annually."

"And in years unfavorable for the beluga sturgeon’s growth, this number can plummet to as low as 500."

"Every beluga sturgeon that’s caught must be verified by the fishing association. Any beluga sturgeon under 20 years old must be released, because making top-grade Beluga Caviar requires a fish that is over 20 years old."

"Once the roe is extracted from the sturgeon, its life comes to an end. In fact, the beluga sturgeon was once on the brink of extinction due to overfishing."

"Standard Beluga Caviar costs 350 yuan per gram, which is nearly equivalent to the price of gold—and sometimes even more expensive."

"And that’s just the factory price. It’s nearly impossible to buy it at that price. You usually have to pay a premium or buy from a trusted vendor. Otherwise, you can only dream of tasting it."

"The world’s most expensive caviar, from Iran, is made from the roe of an extremely rare 40-year-old beluga sturgeon. It sells for up to 1,400 US dollars per gram, which is equivalent to nearly 9,000 Xia Country yuan."

"A single tin sells for as much as 25,000 US dollars, packaged in a 24-karat gold tin."

"You heard that right. Even the tin it comes in is made of gold."

"This caviar is typically sold in 10-gram units, which is a single serving, at a cost of up to 90,000 yuan."

"At a price like that, it’s not just ordinary people—even the average middle-class person would feel an immense pain in their wallet after eating it just once."

After hearing Li Xiao’s detailed explanation of caviar,

the live stream chat exploded.

"Did I hear that right? 9,000 yuan a gram? Isn’t that more expensive than gold?"

"Is the person above me an idiot? Gold is only a little over 400 yuan a gram right now. This is more than 20 times more expensive than gold!"

"Even if it’s made from a special kind of fish, I just can’t understand why it would sell for so much!"

"You can actually buy a can of caviar for just a few dozen yuan? I’d actually like to try that."

As good as this dish was, it couldn’t possibly be using such a precious ingredient. The price point simply didn’t allow for it.

After all, Li Xiao could tell with a single glance that there were at least ten grams of caviar on the plate. That meant the cost of the caviar alone was 160 yuan.

To say nothing of the other ingredients and the complex preparation process—at only 480 yuan, this dish really wasn’t expensive.

Li Xiao picked up the golden spoon, scooped up the caviar, and slowly brought it to his mouth.

The caviar was so delicate it didn’t need to be chewed. With just the slightest movement of his tongue and mouth, the plump pearls burst like waves inside his mouth.

A cool sensation spread out, and the pure, ultimate savory-saltiness left him stunned.

A complex aftertaste washed over him as, one after another, the pearls burst on the tip of his tongue. It was like a slender finger was constantly hitting the F5 key, refreshing his taste buds over and over.

Some things are expensive for a reason. High-grade caviar like this wasn’t overly cured with salt.

While adding salt during the production process can extend the shelf life, it can also cause the caviar to dehydrate faster, making its fresh flavor fade rapidly.

The more salt, the longer the shelf life might be, but the worse the flavor and texture become.

The grade of caviar is determined not only by the type of fish but also by its salt content.

The caviar before him had a very light saltiness and a rich, fresh flavor. It was clearly a first-grade product with a salt content below five percent.

However, low salt also means a shorter shelf life, typically only between 15 and 20 days.

In other words, it must be consumed no more than three weeks after it’s produced.

Otherwise, this expensive jar of caviar would end up in the trash can, not a diner’s mouth.

Li Xiao even knew, from the knowledge granted by his System, that there was an ultra-premium caviar with less than two percent salt, but its shelf life was even shorter—only five to ten days.

This supreme-grade caviar is supplied exclusively to the ultra-wealthy and is not available on the open market.

Its shelf life is so short that almost immediately after production, it must be flown directly to a wealthy client’s home by private jet for consumption.

All caviar undergoes secondary processing, but that doesn’t mean it’s ready to eat straight from the tin.

Usually, a chef will perform a simple preparation, possibly by rinsing it in a 2-5% edible saltwater solution.

This rinsing process serves to, on one hand, wash away any slime that has formed during preservation.

Although there are steps during production to remove the slime beforehand, the salt will still cause liquid to slowly seep out of the caviar during storage.