Has Caviar Always Been a Luxury Item?

Bars regularly set out free pretzels and peanuts because their salty taste makes patrons want to drink more – and because those snacks are cheap to supply. But you'd have to frequent some pretty ritzy establishments to be offered free caviar, right? Not during the early 19th century. Sturgeon, the fish whose eggs (or roe) are what we call caviar, was so plentiful at the time that the now-expensive stuff was frequently set out for saloon customers.

In those days, American waters were flush with the fish – so much so that the U.S. quickly became the leading exporter of caviar. Sneaky businessmen even started bringing the eggs back to America labeled as imported Russian caviar – a supposedly finer version of the food. However, the boom was short-lived, and in no time the abundance of sturgeon was gone. Prices shot up, and bar patrons had to rely on other nibbles to accompany their drinks.

Caviar caveats: