By Emma Murphy & Tracey Ceurvels, contributing writers

Caviar is the perfect indulgence for New Year’s Eve, a celebratory brunch the following day, or anytime you want to add a bit of decadence to a meal.

Dean & DeLuca’s Classic White Sturgeon Caviar comes from white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) raised in ponds of filtered artesian well water on a farm in Northern California. The fish produce medium-sized, rich brown-black roe with a creamy, yet clean, flavor and finish.

Our Galilee Caviar is a genuine Osetra (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) from Israel. The eggs are medium-sized and dark gray to golden brown in color. They are produced by females aged 12 to 15 years. The caviar has a uniquely nutty flavor and a creamy, clean finish on the palate. The flavor is often described as similar to “walnuts and cream.”

For the caviar connoisseur, we package these two aforementioned caviars in our signature Presentoir.

If you’re serving multiple caviars at a time, they should be served in ‘flights,’ like cheese or wine. In other words, caviar should be served in order of intensity. Start with milder-flavored caviars like white sturgeon and move on to more intense ones like Osetra.

Spoonbill caviar is manageably priced. Spoonbill or Paddlefish, as it is sometimes known, is a freshwater sturgeon relative that is native to America. It’s raised in nutrient-rich Tennessee and Mississippi river water. The roe is small and has a steely-gray sheen and a rich, creamy flavor.

You should avoid using your heirloom sterling to serve caviar because it can impart a metallic taste to the eggs. We recommend using mother-of-pearl or horn serving ware, as these vessels will not affect caviar’s fragile flavor. Put your serving dish on crushed ice to prolong the caviar’s freshness.

Traditionally, Buckwheat blinis, sour cream or crème fraîche, minced onions and chopped hard-boiled eggs accompany caviar. However, we suggest that you eat caviar with a high-quality beurre d’Isigny (a French butter with 82% butterfat that is produced by cows that eat grass all year round) or Vermont cultured butter, which is churned with sour cream and is exquisitely rich and silky smooth. You can steam purple potatoes, slice them in half and use a melon baller to scoop out a depression in the center of each half. Fill the hollow with crème fraîche and top it with caviar. We also like to put dollops of caviar on top of potato chips because the crunchy chip combined with the soft caviar is sublime.

If you choose to eat caviar on its own, chilled, we recommend that you put about half a teaspoonful into your mouth and keep it there for a moment. Then, roll the eggs around with your tongue, pop them and swallow. Enjoy the aftertaste for a minute or so. Then, take a sip of sparkling wine or vodka to cleanse your palate.

**If you enjoyed this post, visit Tracey’s blog for more of her writing.

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