Jacques Pepin Creates First Domestic Pressed Caviar

06/06/08 California Caviar Company and Jacques Pepin have teamed up to create the first domestic pressed caviar available in the United States. Combining the roe of three species of domestic sturgeon, this signature caviar, called "Pepin Payusnaya" is personalized with the master chef's hand-sketched artwork.

"Pepin Payusnaya" is the first of California Caviar Company's Chef's Signature Series. Pepin's pressed caviar uses only the highest quality sustainable American sturgeon caviar from California's farmed white sturgeon along with wild hackleback and paddlefish from the Mississippi and Tennessee River systems. This payusnaya is full-flavored, complex, yet smooth and can be sliced, shaved, molded, spread or applied to sauces to enhance any dish.

Jacques Pepin states, "For the true amateur of caviar there is nothing like pressed caviar or payusnaya. The original Russian payusnaya was usually made from a mixture of beluga, osetra and sevruga eggs and for all intents and purposes it is unavailable in the US nowadays. With its intense, assertive taste and dense, smooth texture, it is extremely versatile and a wonderful new addition to the repertoire of the imaginative and inventive chef."

California Caviar Company offers innovative and enticing delicacies to enhance the culinary world, specializing in sustainable caviar and gourmet foods. The company works with the nation's top caviar importers, farmers, and purveyors to provide the highest quality sustainable alternatives to luxury food items. In addition, California Caviar Company partners with executive chefs and gourmet food companies to develop and distribute signature product lines and private labels.