The History of Petrossian Caviar | with Alexander Petrossian

Hi I’m Kirby Allison I’m excited to be
back here in New York City I’m standing Outside the Petrossian cafe and boutique
one of my favorite places to visit Whenever I’m here in New York City they
have some of the absolute best French Pastries that are available and we’re
gonna walk inside and visit with my good Friend Alex Petrossian and talk to him
about caviar Alex oh yeah great to see you thanks I’m
due back at the boutique thank you for Coming my friend I’m excited about we’re
gonna be talking about caviar and The all of our passion
yeah right let’s go through be fun Hi I’m Kirby Allison today I’m here with
Alexander Petrossian managing director Of petrosal caviar and we’re gonna speak
about one of my favorite topics which is Caviar
you know caviar to me is so much a part Of an elegant lifestyle and an
experience and you know for the longest Time I felt like caviar was completely
inaccessible until I met Alex who kind Of opened up this world to me and so
today we’re gonna talk about you know Alex’s background his family business
and then most importantly we’re gonna Talk about how to select and enjoy
caviar Alex thank you so much for Joining us my pleasure
yeah my pleasure so good to see you so You know tell us a little bit about kind
of your background I mean Petrossian is You know one of the first caviar is my
favorite topic – okay so my family Started in France in 1920 my dad kinda
took over in the late say in the early 70s 74-75 and became the actual director
president in 79 I personally started Around 2000 moved to New York in 2005
and you know you know I was supposed to Be here for six months learn English and
I didn’t get the English part but I Stayed in 15 years now so yeah in New
York all in New York it’s one of My favorite city to be and so you and
your wife are here now and you you have You know two children that are the same
ages of you know Nathaniel and Paloma but Yeah pretty much or at a couple of a
couple months apart I think that tells a Little older than Arthur but not much yeah
so how did your family get started in Caviar I mean you know I mean going on a
hundred years I mean that’s a that’s a Long time in the business
so we got started in caviar out of Almost necessity my grandfather and his
brother when they arrived in France they Were born in in Armenia and caviar was
you know was not everywhere but was you Know used and very very often used by a
lot of people and their rise in France He was a little bit unknown it was not
really something that the Parisian would

Would would have and they were actually
the first one to import caviar into into Friends so they started they started
like this and with a lot of help from Different people
Petrossian kind of started to get to get People on board with caviar and yeah as
you said it’s almost been a hundred Years and it’s a it’s been it’s been
great you know having a we have a Certain client based very interesting
people that that are very interested in Our product so you know with customer
like this you can always only get better It’s it’s absolutely yeah I mean you
know you know much in the same way you Know at the Hanger Project I mean
you guys have customers that are Passionate about have caviar so anyone
that’s consuming caviar is doing so you Know really out of question out of
passion because you know a caviar it’s Not like a beautiful watch that we can
show off or a beautiful suit that you Can caviar is one of those FMA a
pleasure that you know you consume away So you get your caviar and and what you
have left is the memory of the evening Or the moment you spend with your loved
one so you know my father always joked That we don’t sell the caviar we sell
the memory that goes around it yeah so It’s it’s it’s it’s yeah it’s very it’s
it’s absolutely amazing business because It changes all the time but caviar
evolves cause you’re mature it’s it’s Absolutely great so talk to us a little
bit about you know kind of the you know The historical origin of caviar I mean
back whenever your grandfather was Getting started I mean it was
and before that was you know really Regional kind of then you know it was
around the cusp in the Caspian Sea okay And was yeah but people also associated
uh and but then you know Iran that has a History and work and caviar so let’s
understand just kind of the geographical Well all the countries around the
Caspian Sea were known for caviar and so Iran Russia and in all the there’s a lot
of smaller countries that are around the Caspian Sea that you produce Kazakhstan
and and different different type of Countries and the the each you know had
the own specificities nowadays since Everything is farm raised it’s much
better on the only sustainable point of View and we can control much better the
the the water quality the the the food And and and everything that comes into
the life of a sturgeon and it’s it’s Been the transition between the wild and
and and and farmers was a little Difficult at first but my father kind of
saw it coming and we were one of the First to make a partnership with a farm
in us and it was it was great for a long

Time and we stopped a bit working with
with those with this farm in particular We had different point of view on the
catch-up process in different cotton When was that transition I mean when did
it transition out card sturgeon to farm Raised I would say around 2007 last
recent it’s a yeah it’s not that far Back two thousand seven two thousand
maybe two thousand eight and The farmers came here had a lot of work
to do to become this beautiful caviar That we know today and we work very
closely with all the form that we’ve We’ve been getting our carrier wave and
now do the caviar I mean I would I would Say there is almost no difference
between what we used to get as a while Caviar and now what we get at the
farmers Cologne So what percentage is farm raised versus
wild caught today is at 100% 100% always on Efficiency and that transition happened all
within the last decade yeah yeah Nowadays do the biggest producer of
caviar is the Chinese believe it or not And the Chinese Caviar will see it a
little later It’s absolutely amazing the Israelian
caviar is great the American caviar is Great also we’ve worked with
a farm that does etc for the past couple Of years and it’s absolutely amazing and
the pleasure with with being in caviar Is that there’s a lot of countries that
produce caviar so we kind of pick and Choose where we want it how we want it
how great we want it and of course you Know it departs is based on price so the
better it is the more expensive you yeah It is and that’s how our caviar is
always a little more expensive than the Competition because we want to get you
know the the great caviar and you know Everything has a cost yeah and you know
one of the things that makes Petrosian Quite unique is you know not only the
sourcing but you guys age your caviar we Do we mature the caviar we do and that’s
where the grades come from so a classic Would be the younger caviar and the
speech over here is reserve will be the More mature caviar and the more immature
cos are the more you develop flavors it Doesn’t play anything on texture or
color or anything like this this is just About the figure and the more you wait
the more the flavor develops And the more the caviar is enjoyable
so how much have you talked to me a Little bit about kind of the price range
of caviar so you know what’s the entry Point you know how much is someone
consuming and then for a couple that Wants to have the first experience in
caviar would recommend between 30 gram And 50 grams or an ounce or a little over
an ounce and it’s way enough for a

Couple to kind of start the experience I
would go for younger caviar because it Doesn’t it’s not true too strong in
flavor it’s easier to enjoy and I would Start by this and I will start by maybe
during key or maybe a classic etc maybe Something like this that would really
start you up on the caviar experience And then what I were working on follow
your necks tries to take two different Caviar traps see the difference and then
take three and then take four and really See and try for your own which one is
your own preference but 125 gram 10 is Actually quite large but really for a
couple if it’s just you know you and Your wife or you and a good friend
yeah you know 50 grams is 20 it’s plenty And even 30 grand for for first time
experience is plenty enough 125 it’s More like if you wanted to join your
wife to do a dinner all-around caviar Then you would go for 125 otherwise you
know for an appetizer or for A little bit cocktail things like this I
would take you know 125 for four or five People and it depends really what what
you want to do with your caviar nowadays Caviar is either you enjoy it straight
out of the tin which is my favorite way Just straight with a multiple spoon
that’s it a lot of people enjoy it with All these or enjoy it with a little
creme fraiche which you know I have Nothing against but stop my personal
interest preference what I don’t Recommend is to use capers and onion and
eggs that was historically what they Used to do in Russia because the recipe
of caviar was very different than what It is today
and back in the days it was salt it was A lot more salted than it is today today
it’s sorted between three to five Percent so it’s not a big amount of salt
so you don’t need anything to remove This kind of very salty flavor and and a
good material caviar you shouldn’t Actually feel the salt that’s what we
mature okay yeah when also I mean you Know all those other elements are just
taking away from the flavor or a caviar Right so you’re not really seeing you
know that natural kind of plagues on File exactly gives everything else
around it it really is and the big Difference I think with you know having
it like this is you can really feel the Eggs you can really feel the the sensual
play with with the cavity of those threw Eggs that rolls on your palate that
rolls on your tongue it’s a very Satisfying experience
it’s very sensory it is it is very Sensual they and all your sense coming
to play with the with the caviar the Smell the the touch do the flavor of
course it really plays with all your

Sense one of the things that you know
that I’ve experienced cuz I had the Great pleasure
joins in caviar you know thank you is You know I was really surprised about
how rich it is and it goes back to the Consumption quantity where you know
caviar is this great kind of experience And that company’s a special moment and
I think that you you know knowing that You don’t need to consume a lot of
volume you know kind of helped me Understand that I didn’t need to buy you
know a hundred and twenty-five gram tin That was gonna cost several hundred
dollars no you know that for as little As a hundred or one hundred and fifty
dollars I’m gonna get a nice fifty gram Tin exactly you know to enjoy with my
wife and with some champagne and you Know some cheese and some music
you know was an entire evening in and of Itself it is and it brings people
together you know if if you want to to To kind of do a particular experience
with your loved one at home it’s it’s Easy to open the tin of caviar two
spoons of champagne and you can’t have Your ending planned already and if you
know you don’t want to do should caveat First you can start by salmon roe you
can start by tripod you can start by There’s a lot of different ways to enjoy
your caviar and you can even do like a Caviar cream which is the 20% caviar so
the price is very reasonable and you Have a lot of different ways to enjoy
your caviar and and you should never be Afraid or ashamed to order small tin
that’s where we all start you know a Smaller a small tin and then you you
you you you you grew it as you love for It grows you know yeah is it it – yeah
you do I mean and again it just goes back to
kind of that experience of kind of Savoring the moment I mean it’s almost
like a good cigar I always say is a Commitment to space of time right so
it’s less about the cigar it’s more About the time that you’re committing
yourself to exactly because that’s what It’s nourishing you that’s what’s that
you’re gonna remember and you know with Caviar it’s much the same and it’s one
of my favorite things to give as a gift Because again there’s a great you don’t
have to spend much money you don’t have To send a large quantity but it’s so
rare for someone to receive Caviar you know it comes in this special
packaging with its ice packs and Everything and you know I mean in terms
of what was expected yeah it’s it’s a One of those gift that always gets
everybody surprised yeah you can be as Rich as you want or as as reasonable as
you want and you can the person you’re

Giving to is always going to be
surprised by but it doesn’t have to be Incredibly expensive it doesn’t you know
that was I think it was one of the big Surprises for me is that yeah you know
again for you know for corporate gifts You know some of our good clients and
the will send you know 125 150 dollars Of caviar and there’s never been a
person that you know just questions no It’s because you know it’s easy to give
a bottle of wine but it’s also you know Ordinary to give a bottle of wine and
just hard to choose a bottle of wine you Know some people prefer right some
people prefer right some people like Their wine the very friends some people
don’t you know it it’s it’s it’s it’s I Think it’s it’s hard to give a champion
or wine I think it’s ways your for caviar Oh yeah always totally agree the way
safer my baby Exactly unless they just don’t eat fish
I think only then you are of look you Have to change website because you know
if if you are allergic to to to to to Rose or fish and I’m so sorry for your
allergy and there’s nothing Petrossian can Offer yeah actually
I’m wrong there is that we do a lot of Sweets we do a lot of it no jams you
know the catalog I mean you’ve got I Think one of the last gonna look at a
logs the Petrossian catalog is you know Kind of one of my favorite things to be
on the mailing list I get it a few times A year
exactly always got this beautiful Photograph but you’re right I mean you
know you guys have expanded beyond just Caviar and become you know purveyors of
just fine accoutrements as far as food Is concerned and you guys have
charcuterie and you know Candies and macarons you know some of
the best pastries although you know you Have to come to New York to enjoy those
and we have a nice bakery I love those Those pastries that’s one of the reason
why I’m a little overweight because of All do I place you it’s it’s good thing
and I live in New York and otherwise I Probably have even more of a problem so
what I mean so you have you know you’ve Been running you know the US business
for you know eight years now for a Little less than eight years I started I
wanted to see every part of our business So I wanted to spend time in the
restaurant I wanted to spend time with The boutique I wanted to kind of
understand what was difference between Our customers in New York and our
customers in Paris and there’s no better Ways than to work in the retail and you
cannot do it on the day to day base is There a difference between the customers
and American the customer region I don’t

Think so
a lot of people think so I I don’t I Think you know it’s two big cities and
there is a people are as rushed in New York that there are in Paris and I do
think the New Yorkers are a little bit Nicer have a little bit more of the of a
nicer tone a nicer ways but you know Parisians are great also but you know
that’s why I live in New York you know I Love I love the anything I love the New
Yorkers I love New York and I wouldn’t See myself living anywhere else so
someone that doesn’t have the luxury of Visiting the boutique in New York and
visiting the boutique in Paris now what Is the best way for them to kind of
learn about We are and to have someone kind of help
them through that selection process well We have a couple of others retail outlet
if you live in LA or if you live in Texas there is a couple of options in
Texas we have one of our great retails That that worked with us for a very long
time that sells Petrossian caviar you Know about it you’ve been there Central
Market exactly yeah You’ve been there for and absolutely
great and they do a great job of caring For caviar we have a store in LA that
that does everything that to store in New York does just on New York of course
we have a low outlet in LAX and we have A beautiful piano bar restaurant in Las
Vegas in the Bellagio and otherwise There is the the website that that would you know ship wherever you are in the US Next day you order before 3:00 or before
4:00 and you’ll have the your project The next day the website is very well
very well done it’s it’s very Professional you have a lot of people
that you know to help to do your Selection because it’s always a little
hard online to see you know which can be I would prefer so these the caviar
concierge that you can call or you can Chat with and they will guide you help
you to do your selection and it’s the Website I think is the easiest way to to
to buy caviar the only problem with the Website it’s new you need to be able to
trust a hundred percent the website to Ordering yeah from a special food I
think so you know regardless you’re Buying at Petrossian or somewhere else I
always do it on the website you trust You know you can return you know you
have you have options and it’s I think It’s very important because the storage
of caviar is incredibly important to be A refrigeration and it can’t be at
more than some temperature otherwise the eggs Kind of burst
you know you can again you kind of get Kind of soup soup caviar and they’re the
best ways to keep it in your in the meat

Side of your refrigerator which is
around 2 degrees Celsius which is what Any other things that you know someone
that’s you know Bank caviar should Should watch out for because again
there’s a big variation and kind of Quality on this areas if you go to a
retail store you should always ask to Try your caviar so if you buy a 50 gram
has tend to open the tin for you try to Pour the eggs out it doesn’t need to be
a lot try a couple of eggs have them Close it back up for you so you know a
hundred percent what can you get in Don’t be fooled by getting you know the
caveat that they have on the back Special for testing and then you know
they kind of sell you something else as To try the caviar you actually buying
that’s my first advice and then go to Someone you trust go to a company you
trust and and you if you trust them yeah They’ll be fine and so the reason why
you should new you should go to someone You trust is you know so you can you
have options if you don’t like the Mushroom dice and you should trust
Petrossian more than obvious because you Know we have our name on it we stand a
hundred percent with the product we say We sell because you know our brand is
the only only great thing we have if you Don’t trust a brand and you the brain is
worthless well at the end of the day It’s still family owned and run
companies completely family own and So I’d rather you know being out of
caviar than to have something I look Proud of if I’m not proud of it I’m not
selling it because you’re always at the Office yeah I landed your wife Ellen
manages the boutique and like that is Still the you know running running all
of us I think I ran into your mother at the
boutique in Paris exactly exactly a Hundred percent I mean you own everybody
works everybody is happy to Even if nobody in the family business in
today’s they are up and down but your Overall working with families always
great always going to absolutely you’re More free and more you can speak your
mind sometimes you have you bigger fight And if you work with with your employee
but you know that’s where I think the Great idea comes from yeah absolutely
this little difference of opinion that You know well I think with the
family-owned business you still have the Latitude to you know make decisions that
aren’t purely financial because it’s a Commitment to a family name that’s true
that’s true so you know one of the Stories that I kind of love is you know
kind of how we met exactly it so I Actually first saw the idea of giving
caviar as a gift through Nick Sullivan

Who is the fashion director at Esquire
magazine yeah yeah so you know I saw This this photograph on Instagram of the
Petrossian caviar basket I said ah That’s incredible who wouldn’t love to
receive caviar so I started giving you Know Petrossian caviar you know as gifts
to know you know some you know really Good clients or some very special
vendors before we ever before we ever Met yes
and then you know one day you know I’m There you know in the office and you
know I always in reviewing the orders That come in and I see an order for shoe
polish come in from the Alexander Petrossian in New York City and I said
what are the chances I mean I Immediately recognize that name so you
know I saw your order come across and I Just died said you know this is too
small of the world so I put in a note Just you know saying how much I
appreciated your caviar and I think I Threw in a few little surprises you did
and you know I had no idea that you know We were so similar in age
but so many overlapping interests and And the same passion yeah for you a
beautiful shoes and the you know Lifestyle lifestyle choice that that I
learned from your video everyday and It’s well it’s a really it just goes
back to I think with you know these you Know with these products of passion you
know you know whether it’s you know Shoes or tailoring or cigars or caviar
or wine — hangers I mean you know The people that are passionate about
that share so many interests and you Know getting together with people who
share passions it’s is the best you know Good friend of mine in Paris who
actually wrote you know the Goyard brand Book you know whenever you know I bought
that book he gave me a print and on the On the back he had an inscription that I
just really struck me and he said you Know passion is the greatest luxury of
all it’s true and I love this you know Sharing passion with someone and you
know being able to just enjoy that Moment is incredible and I think you
know we’ve you know been able to you Know enjoy a caviar together we’ve been
able to enjoy cigars together don’t Think we haven’t done the ancestors to
share through the shining a pair of shoes Together yeah which I think we’re gonna
do today exactly we look at you like said About me to pitch okay so anyone that’s
interested in kind of learning more About caviar or kind of following you I
mean you guys have an incredible Catalogue that you know is just a
pleasure to receive you know you can Sign up for that online there’s a
website we have

Very nice Instagram account it’s @petrossiannyc for the American side and It’s @petrossian for the French side There is we have a small YouTube channel
that we’re kind of starting to build Right now with different how-to video how to open a tin how to Serve it and a couple video like this
and and we have also the caviar Concierge that you can call and they
will share with you any caviar stories Or what what to choose or how to choose
it and they’re really there to kind of Help yes answer any questions yeah and
then of course I mean if anyone’s in New York the boutique is excited we take
whenever caviar associates will Definitely open a cup of teen for you
have you tried have you tried different Cameos you don’t have to buy anything
just you for the Sun of it yeah come in Try some caviar and maybe we’ll get you
hooked and and then you’ll be customer For life or maybe you know exactly
what’s the worst connection you know What and and you guys have one of the
best French bakeries in all of New York City well I think so for sure no yeah
it’s it’s very very Parisian so the the Costs are very buttery they’re heavy
some people love it some people don’t But you know it’s it’s it’s light it’s
difficult to find a proper French the Sun that is crispy and flaky and you
know to me a good question is you know You should have flakes all over your
suits all over your eyes yeah and you Don’t have to wash your hands after the
session if that’s a that’s a good Question you know if it doesn’t crumble
on you To me miss something and you guys have a
small breakfast and lunch menu too so You know do a great place to just kind
of drop in and you’re just a few blocks South of Central Park
yeah you can have some big old some Smoked salmon some caviar you can have
adjusted the pastries sitting down with A nice coffee you know it’s very open
there these are not a lot of tables but Today friendly is very family-like it’s
a small shop it’s not intimidating you Know nothing formal nothing you know you
can come in shorts and t-shirt no one Will look at you weird it’s a it’s a
very simple shop and very simple okay Hey well Alex you know thank you so much
Oh my pleasure Kirby I appreciate you kind of Sharing you know your passion and kind
of family history with us there’s only Things you don’t you ask questions you
plug me into it and I’ll talk for hours Right thank you thank you so much for
having me If you enjoyed this video give us a
thumbs up and please subscribe to our

Channel and turn on your notifications
by clicking the bell to the right of the Subscribe button so that you can learn
whenever we release new videos if you Have any questions or comments about
anything we discussed on this video Please ask them in the comment section
below and of course please visit HangerProject.com where we have the largest
most comprehensive collection of luxury Garment care and shoe care accessories
in the world as well as many other Incredible products for the well-dressed
and while you are there subscribe to our Newsletter to receive notifications of
new product launches promotions as well As a weekly digest of all the videos we
publish