Generation Z fuels surge in caviar production as sales jump 76% after taking ‘bumps’ from luxury food became a TikTok trend
Caviar sales are booming thanks to the Gen Z trend of taking “bumps” from the ultra-expensive fish.
According to 360 Research, sturgeon roe sales have increased by 74 percent globally since 2020, with British teens and early twenties driving the trend.
The industry is expected to grow even further and the market is expected to grow by a further 40 percent by 2027.
According to the Times, Selfridges has seen sales increase by 15 percent in December, as chefs across the UK add the black gold to their menus.
In part, this trend is due to the fact that millions of people on TikTok are watching videos of people taking caviar.
A bump involves placing a pile of roe on the back of your hand and licking it.
Caviar sales are booming thanks to Gen Z’s trend of taking ‘bumps’ from the ultra-expensive fish (pictured is a Tiktoker doing a ‘cavair bump’)
The industry is expected to grow even further and the market is expected to grow by a further 40 percent by 2027. Pictured: People trying caviar on TikTok
Chefs say that eating the skin provides the “purest taste” because the taste is not contaminated by utensils from other foods.
While the trend started with influencers – especially in high-end restaurants – before spreading to everyday people, there are now many videos that have been viewed millions of times.
Andrew Bird, head of food at Selfridges, told the Times that caviar was seen ‘as the domain of the rich’, but now younger people are seeing ‘what it’s all about’.
“We expect this trend to continue in 2024, with more chefs adding it to their menus and our customers purchasing it to serve as an impressive appetizer at their dinner parties.”
Beluga cavair, the most expensive type, costs around £600 for a 125g tin. A ‘bulge’ is usually around 7 grams.
British ‘Caviar Queen’ Laura King MBE. Royal Warranted King’s Fine Food, known as the leading caviar brand in Britain, is now the leading importer of caviar in Britain.
She believes caviar can cure a hangover and says 2023 has been ‘absolutely manic’.
“Caviar works really well on the back of your hand,” Laura recently told Tom Parker Bowles.
‘However, you have to be very careful with the quality. And if it is really cheap, whether it is caviar at all.’
‘Beautifully shaped eggs, which gently burst between the tongue and the roof of the palette. Fresh and clean aroma. Definitely not fishy. And a taste of the sea. But also creamy and nutty.’
People take to TikTok to explain ‘how to make a caviar bump’
People place the row of eggs on their hands and lick them in the latest craze to take over the app
Many people take caviar with shots of vodka for an extra element of luxury
Top restaurants also give ‘bumps’ of cavair
The price, says Laura, depends entirely on the age of the fish.
‘It all depends on the age at which you have to wait for the sturgeon to lay the eggs’
‘Even for the baeri [kaspia, a species of sturgeon native to Russia], which breeds the fastest, lasts at least five years. The investment is huge and you lose up to 30 percent of your initial young [juvenile fish]that do not mature to produce eggs.’
Waitrose is selling ‘affordable’ caviar from premium fish brand Elsinore for £5 per 100 grams. It is made from lumpfish, native to the North Atlantic Ocean and parts of the Arctic Ocean, which ripen much faster. But it doesn’t taste like the real thing at all. Don’t expect to see a bargain Imperial Gold at your local Aldi anytime soon.
Carla Sora, general manager of Italy’s Agroittica Lombarda, the largest caviar farm in Europe, told the BBC that the wave started during the lockdown.
Leonid Shutov, CEO of London’s top restaurant Bob Bob Ricard, told the Telegaph: ‘You see it everywhere, popping up in places you wouldn’t expect.
‘Usually it’s a garnish, which doesn’t necessarily do it the most justice.
“But sometimes it’s justified and provides an improved experience. Gen Z seems to love the idea of caviar, which is surprising.”
In the US, Pringles launched a collaboration with a Cavair brand.
The #CaviarAndPringles TikTok hashtag started after an episode of The Real Housewives of New York City.
On season 14 of RHONY, Erin Lichy raved about the luscious combination of Pringle and caviar to fellow cast member Jenna Lyons, who tried it and didn’t mind.
Unfortunately, there is a catch to the new Pringles collection: the price tag.
There are three sets available in different price ranges for $49, $110 and $140.
People have taken to TikTok to give themselves a taste of caviar
The Pringle and The Caviar Co collection was born shortly after the eruption of the #CaviarAndPringles TikTok trend – which started after season 14, episode 2 of The Real Housewives of New York
The $140 set comes with Smoked Trout Roe and Classic White Sturgeon caviar, and Original, Sour Cream & Onion and Barbecue Pringles
Those who choose to spend $49 will receive a 1.3-ounce container of Pringles Sour Cream & Onion and a jar of The Caviar Company’s Smoked Trout Roe with crème fraîche.
For $110, foodies can get Pringles with the Classic White Sturgeon caviar that starts at $60 on the company’s website.
Foodies who can’t decide which caviar they prefer can spend $140 to try both — with three containers of Original, Sour Cream & Onion, and Barbecue Pringles.
Head of Marketing for Pringles US Mauricio Jenkins said: ‘Our partnership with The Caviar Co. not only embraces trending snacking behavior in an approachable way, but expertly blends our beloved crunchy flavors with this seafood delicacy for a Pringles tasting unlike anything you’ve ever had before.”