In this episode of South End Stoop Sessions, host Cate Brinch sits down with KK, Anna and Emmie, the three neighbors behind Roe House Caviar, a brand born on Worcester Street in Boston's South End. Anna traces her route into the fish trade, from culinary school to the kitchen at L'Espalier, where she first plated caviar, and on to running Wulf's Fish as it grew from a small Brookline shop into a wholesale business on the Boston Fish Pier. The three explain why caviar costs what it does, with some sturgeon taking up to sixteen years to reach maturity, why all caviar is roe but not all roe is caviar, and why farmed sturgeon is the ethical choice rather than the compromise. They also make a case for Bugles, mashed potatoes and a bump off the back of your hand, and close with their own South End favorites.

Key Points From This Episode:

[00:00:00] Introduction

[00:01:14] KK, Anna and Emmie introduce themselves and their favorite tins

[00:03:21] Anna's route into food: culinary school and the kitchen at L'Espalier

[00:05:59] Her first encounter with caviar, and how much one tin differs from another

[00:08:00] Business school, then running Wulf's Fish from Brookline to the Boston Fish Pier

[00:10:09] Sourcing standards: marine-based feed, fallowing pens and fish welfare

[00:11:21] Why the seafood world is still "a bit of the Wild West"

[00:13:54] Moving a highly perishable product from farm to jar, and what original tins are

[00:14:55] Red flags on a label, and why pasteurized caviar is worth avoiding

[00:16:08] Why Roe House refuses the classic, royal and imperial grading other brands use

[00:18:35] Bugles, blinis and mashed potatoes as unexpected vehicles for caviar

[00:19:45] What a caviar bump is, and why the warmth of your hand opens up the flavor

[00:23:09] Why caviar costs what it does: sturgeon that take years to reach maturity

[00:24:35] All caviar is roe, but not all roe is caviar

[00:26:28] Wild versus farmed, and why farming is the ethical route for sturgeon

[00:28:57] Three neighbors on Worcester Street: how Roe House came together

[00:32:11] Pop-ups, private tastings and building the brand around community

[00:34:02] Neighborhood rapid fire: South End restaurants and under-the-radar businesses

Links:

• Roe House Caviar: https://eatroehouse.com

• Roe House Caviar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatroehouse