Caviar is the pinnacle of elegance… until you learn of its origin and extraction process.

Used in fine dining as garnish, added atop sushi rolls, or served as a fancy appetizer, caviar is a cruel delicacy that has been consumed for centuries. Luckily we live in a time where visionaries see the demand for production of plant-based, and sustainable substitutes for all indulgences. Cavi-Art is a vegan, seaweed-based, 0 calorie, cholesterol-free alternative to caviar, made of sustainable seaweed from France and Norway. Created by accident* in 1988, Cavi-Art entered the scene as an economical replacement for fish roe in Denmark. Now as the demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable products is on the rise, Cavi-Art is available to more retailers, even within the US! With holidays on their way, I thought I’d give it try, so you can stock up now in time for celebrating if you choose.

For my first taste test, I opted for the traditional, “what I’ve seen in movies” caviar serving suggestion. Cavi-Art is meant to be refrigerated after opening, so just as traditional opened caviar is served on ice, so is Cavi-Art. The beads, or “pearls” of seaweed have an interesting texture that bursts with each bite (I would compare it to a miniature boba ball). The taste is very salty, with a hint of what can only be described as “fishy”. This flavor comes from seaweed and seasonings used to mimic that of real fish. Paired with water crackers or crostini and dairy-free sour cream, Cavi-Art has a blank slate to garnish. The addition of chopped onion or chive adds a nice bite, and the acidity from a squeeze of lemon helps to cut down on the salty flavor. I can definitely see myself serving this on Christmas as a dinner appetizer, or on New Year’s Eve with drinks. I think I may try it next atop veggie sushi, or even baked potatoes! Maybe I will even cop Wendy Williams and use some vegan-friendly Doritos as a vessel for my Cavi-Art.

As stated on Cavi-Art’s website: “By using Cavi·art® instead of fish roe, together we avoid consuming the next generations of fish and thus disrupting the marine ecosystem.” Cavi-Art has different varieties of vegan caviar, that can replace lumpfish roe, capelin roe, herring roe, salmon roe, flying fish roe, and more. They even have a line of vegan caviar designed just for sushi! I found my Cavi-Art Black Seaweed Pearls at Walmart! Our local Cost Plus World Market also has it in stock, or you can order for shipping from Amazon.

How would you serve Cavi-Art?

Walmart Location: 3848 McHenry Ave, Modesto, CA 95356

Caviart.com

Caviart.com/Products/Caviart

Seasonproducts.com/Caviart

*Champagne was also created by accident! I see it fitting these two pair so well together!