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Comment by L_226 | Hacker News Reader

I enjoy beluga caviar - very expensive for what it is though. A much cheaper alternatve is (homemade) black olive tapenade - almost as good for similar usages, and far more sustainable. But I suspect the consumption of caviar is more about signalling than actual taste anyway.

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That's like saying that Trabant is a much cheaper alternative to Bentley. Technically it is... but not quite.

Edit:

I don't know how to be any more clearer here, but "Olive tapenade as a beluga caviar alternative" is straight from the /shit-the-hn-says department, it's beyond ridiculous. "Ketchup as a San Marzano tomato alternative."

I'd have more sympathy for your viewpoint if caviar actually tasted as good as olive tapenade ...

Well, olives are revolting to me, while caviar tastes great.

The only thing ridiculous here is the level of snobbery people will go out of their way to express without any prompting.

Looks like I was spot on with the signalling analysis.

Is an interesting comparison. Salty taste and color could relate in some ways, but tapenade don't has the "exploding in your mouth" part, neither the strong fish oil taste. Is perfectly good in its own terms even if is not caviar.

While by no means required, it's not unusual for a tapenade to incorporate anchovies or anchovy paste which gives some measure of fishiness.

A more comparable sustainable alternative is seaweed caviar. It looks, feels and tastes pretty much the same as any caviar.

Ikea now sells seaweed caviar (I haven't seen it anywhere else in the US yet) and it is a legit alternative to caviar.

I'm slowly going vegan, for environmental and ethical reasons, and that was one food replacement I realized does a really good job at being as good at being a replacement.

I'd suggest anyone near an ikea try it.

"pretty much the same as any caviar"

Considering that there are a few types of caviar and they all taste, smell and look different...

I suppose that could be in seaweed caviar's favor - if they all taste, smell, and look different, maybe it can fit right in?

Tapenade, you mean even without putting any kind of fish eggs inside? Or do you put something cheap?

Anchovies

I'd much prefer tapenade any day regardless of price, though I did grow up eating it.

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