Caviar No. 4 This one is the soy beluga; it gets an A from Deibol, who admires the gray-green color, firm texture and the generous size of the berries. "It has strength and structure; it's definitely my favorite so far, alone or with condiments," he says." Elisabeth is intrigued. "It has nice, charcoal-gray berries and a semi-gloss that gives it good color," she says. "The berries are loose, and there's good balance to the taste."

Designer Hewes appreciates the size of the big berries. "This one is best all by itself; it doesn't need any condiments," she decides. I like the little explosion of taste on the tongue and the rich finish. We all agree we could easily eat more of this one.

Caviar No. 5 This one is a true Caspian Sea sevruga. And even though we're in the dark, we all realize immediately that we are tasting something special. "Oh, this is the one I want to eat in pound portions," exclaims Elisabeth at first bite. Gil notes that is just how his wife enjoys her beluga and sevruga when they travel to Europe. "I buy her a tin at the airport, and she spoons it up right out of the container on the airplane ride home," he says. She retorts, "It's the best way I know to make those long plane rides bearable."

Hewes concurs with Elisabeth, grading No. 5 an A. "The flavors come alive on the tongue, it has a melting texture and a fabulous finish," she says. "This one is for me." I agree; the taste is unique-buttery soft but full on the tongue. It holds up to condiments, but is luscious all by itself.

Caviar No. 6 This is the king of caviars, Caspian Sea sturgeon beluga, the snack food of patricians and potentates. Gil says, "It has strong color, glossy and dark, with well-defined berries; and it's salty in an appealing way. I give it a high B." His wife finds it "very good, soft with the right texture and color" but grants it only a C. She still craves another round of variety No. 5, the genuine sevruga. "I like the black color and silky texture of this one, and the flavor is intense and upfront," says Deibol. "It's quite concentrated. To me it tastes better with sour cream and the blini." And Brigid, the novice caviar eater, thinks the beluga has a lovely melting texture and is full of rich flavor. She likes the big finish on the tongue and grades it an enthusiastic B.

There's no disputing about our taste this afternoon-No. 5, the true sevruga, headed everyone's list. It's the Rolls-Royce of our tasting session, besting even the genuine beluga. Nonetheless, our conclusions bode well for the fakes. The soy sevruga and the soy beluga challenged the authentic roe, both earning As and Bs from most of the judges. The soy sevruga and soy beluga are clearly Bentleys. The soy osetra is nobody's favorite, a dud. And the golden whitefish is prettier than it is tasty. But with two of the soy impostors scoring so high, we realize that almost anyone can afford respectable-tasting caviar for a party or private indulgence. Thanks to these new alternatives, choosing caviar today is about flavor rather than the money.

"Caviar is like wine," says chef Martinez, smiling as he looks at our empty plates. "It's less about what other people say is the best or the finest or the most expensive. It's really about finding what tastes good to you. The great fun, of course, lies in the research." We all give an A-plus to that statement.

Mario's Buttermilk Buckwheat Blinis

(makes two dozen little pancakes to serve caviar on; top with sour cream)

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup warm water

1 package dry highly active yeast

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup buckwheat flour

Heat buttermilk in saucepan set over medium heat; mix in sugar and salt and put aside. Pour water into a warm mixing bowl, sprinkle in yeast and stir to dissolve. Mix in the buttermilk mixture, egg and melted butter. Mix the two flours until blended. Slowly add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Cover and allow batter to rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, about 35 minutes.