Word: beluga
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...scenes reminiscent of Britain's infamous trade of stolen gadgets in pubs, furtive traders today knock at the backdoor of upscale restaurants offering a new contraband: caviar. London's hordes of Russian oligarchs and hedge-fund yuppies have sent demand soaring for "black gold," with top varieties such as Beluga now selling for over $3,000 a kilo, whilst the rarest varieties, such as Almas ($50,000 per kilo), whose eggs are white, have a four-year waiting list. The soaring demand for sturgeon roe has created lucrative opportunities for "caviar cowboys," who sell illegally smuggled caviar to unscrupulous chefs...
...less picky. One upmarket restaurant manager told TIME that the growth of black market caviar threatened the trade itself: 'There is a huge black market in Russian caviar in particular," the manager said. "You get some people who come in and say 'I've got a jar of Beluga for a hundred pounds ($200)', but it's been pasteurized to preserve it. It will threaten the trade if they [are allowed to] keep fishing and fishing...
...despite ethical qualms - which have prompted some chefs to renounce it altogether - rich Londoners can't seem to get enough of the black stuff. Stuart Lyall, head chef of the Fishmarket restaurant sums up its status allure: "Demand for beluga, our top seller, is still very high... people have not been deterred from ordering it. It's still a very decadent choice...
...Mostly this was because I don't have a spare 1 million Thai baht (or $29,800) to lavish on a single eating experience. The meal, lovingly constructed by six three-star Michelin chefs flown in from Europe, sounded delectable: highlights included a tartare of Kobe beef with Imperial Beluga caviar and Belon oysters (paired with a 1995 Krug Clos du Mesnil) and a tarte fine with scallops and $350 worth of black truffles (paired with a 1996 Le Montrachet Domaine de la Roman?e-Conti). Fifteen deep-pocketed global gourmands paid for the repast, which was modestly titled Epicurean Masters...
...with secret passage?can be reserved on a no-frills basis for $5,000 a night. The new, record price is for a holiday package that includes three chauffeured Rolls-Royces, a dinner for 20 with strolling violinists, round-the-clock butler and chambermaid service, private bartender, free-flowing beluga caviar and Dom P�rignon champagne, and breakfast in bed. Checkout time, please note, is still...