"A lot of people are intimidated by the word caviar, and they don't realize that it's actually quite accessible, and there's so much to learn about it," said Giselle Wellman, a chef at Petrossian.
Wellman says like wine, there's so many nuances to this delicacy, so Caviar 101 was created to help the novice get a leg up on the lingo and such.
The classes are held the first Thursday and Friday of the month in West Hollywood and attract a varied crowd: date nighters, newbies, even Angelenos trying to impress out-of-town guests. Each class is $35 a person.
"It's fun, it's engaging, it's interactive," said general manager Christopher Klapp.
Wellman says the goal of the classes is to make caviar less intimidating.
"You think of caviar as this very fancy thing that you maybe don't know anything about, but it's really delicious, and it's more tangible than you think," said Julianne Shook of Los Angeles, who participated in a class.
A selection of five different types of caviar and tapas or appetizer-style bites are served with a choice of spirits to companion the flavor.
A tablespoon of caviar is about 40 calories -- four grams of a nice heart-healthy fat -- but it does have a considerable amount of sodium -- 200 milligrams. So when you have this little treat, you're going to want to have it in a small dose and pair it with a low-salt side, like potato, cauliflower or something creamy.
And beyond the entry-level lesson, they also have two advanced courses for those with sophisticated palates.
