The roes vary in size, color and flavor, and of course…price. Beluga, Sevruga, and Osetra refer to the species of sturgeon. Beluga, the largest fish (it can weigh up to 2,000 pounds) has the largest eggs, buttery in flavor, soft in texture. They range from pale silver to black in color. Beluga can be twice the price of Osetra. Osetra is a medium-size, generally brownish egg with a nutty flavor and an oilier, a silkier texture than Beluga (it is the “melts in your mouth” caviar). Sevruga is the most common species of the three, making it the most affordable. The sturgeon is small and reproduces faster than the others. The eggs are generally gray or greenish and crunchier than the others; they also has the strongest flavor. Malossol is Russian for “little salt,” and refers to a skillful, lighter salting used to preserve the caviar. With today’s refrigeration, even less salt is used by fine caviar producers.