The Most Expensive Caviar In The World Costs More Than Your Car

They say money can't buy happiness, but it can buy you luxury foods. You can splurge on any overpriced menu item you want when you have money to spend. One ultra-premium food is Almas caviar. This delicacy is so expensive it costs more than most brand-new cars on the market. A 1-kilogram package of this type of caviar can fetch anywhere from $25,000 to $34,000. 

With a $25,000 base price, Almas caviar is more expensive than the 2025 Hyundai Venue, whose base model sells for $20,200. You don't necessarily need to spend that much to try Almas caviar, however. There are brands that sell them in smaller packaging than the full kilogram, like this 30-gram Monte Cristo Almas Caviar, which costs a mere $389.

Despite its hefty price tag, many are willing to splurge on Almas caviar because of its unique taste (or as a signal to others of their wealth). Compared to other types of caviar, Almas has a distinct flavor profile often described as creamy and nutty. Others say its briny yet buttery. As for its appearance, Almas caviar is light yellow in color, which is very different from the typical black or dark gray caviar most of us only see in films and TV shows.

The thing that separates caviar from all other fish eggs is that it exclusively comes from sturgeon. Other fish roe (aka fish eggs) may undergo similar processing techniques as caviar, but they'd never end up tasting the same as this premium delicacy. The difficulty in acquiring the eggs helps explain why caviar is so expensive, and thus considered a symbol of luxury. However, not all caviar is priced the same. Pricing varies depending on the fish species they're harvested from, the production methods used, and the quality of the eggs.

Almas caviar is exclusively harvested from the Iranian albino beluga sturgeon (Huso huso), one of the largest sturgeon species in existence. It can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh more than 3,000 pounds. However, it also takes a staggering 60 to 100 years before this fish can produce eggs, with some claiming a century is the minimum time the fish needs to develop the best Almas caviar. 

The specific albino beluga sturgeon which produces Almas caviar is incredibly rare, as it's only found in the Caspian Sea's southern region. Amid overfishing threats, the species has been classified as endangered since 1998. Due to its rarity, an estimated 10 kilograms of Almas caviar is even possible to harvest each year. In the United States, it is illegal to import caviar harvested from the beluga sturgeon. That's right, Almas caviar cannot legally be imported here. The only fish farm authorized to sell the luxurious food item is Sturgeon AquaFarms in Florida.