In Casino Royale, Daniel Craig’s Bond orders “Champagne and Beluga for one” in his suite at the One & Only Ocean Club, and the line says more than the food does. Bond asks for the best and does not dwell on it. Beluga caviar is the most expensive of all the caviars, and this is a farmed, purebred version in the spirit of that order. See the full Casino Royale page for the rest of Bond’s world.

Serving Beluga caviar now

Keep it simple, which is the point. Serve it cold, from the tin or jar, on a mother-of-pearl spoon; metal can alter the taste. Allow about 28g a person for a generous tasting; the 14g size is a modest portion for one, with nothing else but a glass of something dry and cold. We would not add blini, onion or lemon to roe this delicate.

Buy it for the evening you plan to eat it. Unopened, it keeps for 3 to 4 weeks in a tin and 6 to 8 weeks in a jar, refrigerated below 38°F (3.3°C) and never frozen. Once opened, finish it within 2 to 3 days. The US banned imports of Beluga in 2005 because wild stocks had declined, so a farmed, purebred source is the sensible way to buy it now. More in Food & Drink.

Specifications

Species	Huso huso, farmed, purebred
Farm	Sturgeon AquaFarms, Bascom, Florida
Grade	00; large, firm, medium grey pearls
Preparation	Malossol (fresh, cured with salt); ingredients: fish roe, salt
Sizes	14g to 1kg, in a glass jar or metal tin depending on availability
Storage	Refrigerate below 38°F (3.3°C); do not freeze
Price	From US$155 for 14g (RRP at the time of writing, October 2026)

Never Say Never Again

Marky’s Beluga Caviar, Grade 00 (Casino Royale)