Caviar evokes a delicacy, a rare and expensive product. When we hear caviar, we hear luxury. That’s why marketers, restaurants or shops tend to call Caviar basically everything that is shaped as a pearl or a roe. There are products that are obviously not real caviar, but others are harder to distinguish from the real deal. Some people call these “Caviar substitutes” or “Caviar alternatives”, but the confusion comes when the name makes the consumer think that he is having authentic caviar. Here are a few examples of fake caviar:
Avruga Caviar or Arenkha Caviar. I would say this is where the biggest confusion (or should I say rip off) lies. The confusing part here is that this "Avruga" is very similar to “Sevruga”, which is a real caviar (from the species Acipenser stellatus). Avruga and arenkha are the same product, it is actually Herring Pearls. It’s not a roe, it’s smoked herring fillet that was transformed and shaped into pearls, in which squid ink is added to make it black. It does not taste like caviar at all, but can look similar for people that have never had caviar.
Red Caviar. Also called Keta, Ikura or Salmon Roe. Let’s be clear, the so called Red Caviar is not caviar at all. It’s a roe coming from salmon. It’s inexpensive. It’s a large popping roe, very salty and fishy. There is nothing noble about this product, I would not say it necessarily bad, but it’s just NOT caviar.
Tobiko Caviar, this is Flying Fish Roe. It can be of different colors. The red or black versions are the most common, but you can also find it in green. These are the little pearls you commonly find in sushi restaurants. Again, they do not taste like caviar, but they are entertaining to add to a fish dish.
Aubergine Caviar, which is an eggplant dip usually found in Mediterranean cuisine.
Snail Caviar. Yup. From the snails. I have not tried it and I do not intend to do so.
Olive Oil Caviar, usually from the brand Caviaroli. I never tried it but it sounds like an interesting touch to add to dishes or canapes.
By US law, you can use the word “caviar” by itself only if you are referring to real Caviar (link), from the Sturgeon species. If you are calling caviar something else, you have to make it clear in the name (ie. Aubergine Caviar).
Extract from the FDA:
The term "caviar" unqualified should be applied only to the article prepared by the special method (salting) of sturgeon roe
Despite this law, inexperienced consumers can still be misled by people who take advantage of general lack of knowledge on this topic. I have seen the term “Avruga Caviar” on the menu in several very high end restaurants, where the price of the dish could lead to think it was real caviar. I believe the role of restaurants is also to educate their clients about fine food, so it’s a shame to make this sort of misleading description.
The best way to avoid this is to be aware of the main caviar species or verify the authenticity of a caviar by checking its CITES label on the bottom of the tin. You can learn how to read a CITES label here.