This OLMA Caviar review looks at one of the longest-running caviar sellers in New York and asks a simple question: if you want to buy caviar online and have it arrive cold, fresh and correctly labelled, is OLMA a sensible place to order? OLMA is a Brooklyn importer, packer and wholesaler that sells direct to the public through its website, and it carries one of the broadest ranges of sturgeon and non-sturgeon roe we have seen from a single US seller. We have not run our own tasting panel for this page. What follows is an editorial assessment built from OLMA's own product, shipping and FAQ pages, from federal rules on caviar labelling and trade, and from what independent writers and thousands of customers have reported.

Our verdict

OLMA is a strong choice for buyers who want range. Its catalogue runs from inexpensive American roes such as Bowfin, Paddlefish and Hackleback through farmed Osetra, Kaluga Royal and Beluga Hybrid, plus salmon roe and a large gourmet pantry of smoked fish, foie gras, cheese and truffles. Every perishable order goes out by overnight courier in an insulated cooler, the company says it is HACCP certified, and its customer reputation on Trustpilot is very good. The trade-offs are practical rather than about quality: claims must be made within a day of delivery, someone has to be home to receive the box, deliveries are not made on Mondays or around major holidays, and the product pages say less about farm origins than some specialist rivals do. If you want one shop that can cover a party, a gift and a first tasting flight in a single order, OLMA earns its place on our list.

What it is and who it is for

OLMA describes itself as a direct importer, producer and distributor of caviar and gourmet foods, operating from a production facility on Avenue X in Brooklyn. Its company page says it has been selling fine caviar for more than two decades and that it also runs a wholesale arm supplying grocery chains, restaurants and distributors across the Northeast. The Daily Beast's shopping team described it in similar terms, as a Brooklyn supplier to stores, markets and restaurants that also ships to home cooks.

That background matters for a shopper. A wholesaler that hand-packs every jar to order and moves large volumes tends to have steady supply across many grades, and that is exactly what OLMA's range reflects. It suits three kinds of buyer well:

  • First-time buyers who want to try an affordable American roe, or a small sampler, before spending on premium sturgeon.
  • Hosts and gift buyers who want caviar plus blini, crème fraîche, mother-of-pearl spoons and a gift box from one checkout.
  • Repeat buyers who will use the loyalty programme and know which grain size and flavour they prefer.

It is less suited to a buyer who wants a single-farm, single-origin story for every tin, with the farm named and the harvest date printed on the product page. Some specialist houses build their whole brand around that; OLMA's strength is breadth.

Key features

A very wide caviar range

OLMA's catalogue lists Beluga Hybrid, Sevruga, Osetra, Kaluga Royal, Imperial Amur, White Sturgeon, Siberian Osetra and Sterlet among its sturgeon caviars. Its American line adds Hackleback, which comes from the native shovelnose sturgeon, plus Paddlefish and Bowfin roe, alongside salmon roe. Most products come in a ladder of sizes from half an ounce up to large tins of well over a pound, so the same variety can serve a tasting for two or a large event. Smaller sizes ship in glass jars and larger ones in metal tins, according to the product pages.

Farmed sturgeon and clear labelling

OLMA says its caviar is hand-selected from sustainable sturgeon farms in Italy, Israel, Asia and the United States, and its product pages give the origin country for individual lines; its Osetra and Kaluga Royal pages, for example, list South Korea. That is useful, because wild sturgeon are protected. The US Fish and Wildlife Service explains that every sturgeon and paddlefish species has been listed under the CITES trade convention for decades and that commercial caviar shipments need CITES permits. OLMA's company page says it complies with those federal rules and holds the required permits.

Labelling is the other thing to check on any caviar site. The FDA's compliance policy guide says the plain word "caviar" should be used only for sturgeon roe, and roe from other fish should carry the fish's name, as in "salmon caviar" or "paddlefish caviar". OLMA's catalogue follows that convention, naming the species on each non-sturgeon product, which makes it easier for a newcomer to understand what they are paying for.

Hand-packing and food safety

The company says every jar is hand-packed to order at its Brooklyn facility and that it works under a HACCP food safety plan, with a sample from each incoming shipment sent to a laboratory for testing. Those are OLMA's own statements and we cannot audit them, but they are the right things for a caviar packer to be doing and saying.

Overnight cold-chain shipping

Every order containing perishables ships by FedEx or UPS overnight, according to OLMA's shipping policy. The FAQ says products travel in a reusable moulded polystyrene cooler with non-toxic gel refrigerant packs and that the cooler holds temperature for at least 72 hours. Orders placed before the afternoon cut-off on a weekday ship the same day; Saturday delivery is available for an extra charge. All packages are insured.

Gift sets and a gourmet pantry

Beyond caviar, OLMA sells smoked salmon and other fish, foie gras, cured meats, truffles, cheese, butter and pantry staples, plus serving accessories. Its gift sets bundle a caviar with accompaniments and spoons, which is the easiest route for anyone buying caviar for someone else.

Loyalty club

The OLMA Loyalty Club is free to join. According to its terms, members earn points on purchases, for writing product reviews and for referring friends, and the points convert into money-off coupons at set thresholds. OLMA says points no longer expire, although rewards cannot be combined with other promotional codes.

How much does OLMA Caviar cost?

Our product card above shows current prices from our own data, so we will describe the structure here rather than quote figures. OLMA prices each variety by weight, and the spread is wide: American roes such as Bowfin and Hackleback sit at the entry end, farmed Osetra and Kaluga in the middle, and Beluga Hybrid and the rarer sturgeon grades at the top. Small jars make it possible to try a premium grade without buying a large tin. Shipping is charged on top for perishables, Saturday delivery costs extra, and the site regularly runs bundle offers and seasonal promotions. Loyalty points can bring the effective price down for repeat customers. There is no subscription; every order is a one-off purchase.

Is OLMA Caviar safe and reliable to order from?

OLMA is a long-established business with a physical production facility, a published phone line and a large public review history, so the usual concerns about buying luxury food from an unknown website do not apply in the same way. Trustpilot showed a TrustScore of 4.5 out of 5 from roughly two and a half thousand reviews when we checked, with the large majority of reviewers giving five stars and the company replying to almost all negative reviews.

Food safety for caviar depends heavily on what happens after delivery. OLMA's FAQ is specific: keep caviar at 34 degrees Fahrenheit or below, ideally on ice in the coldest part of the fridge; unopened glass jars keep for up to six months and metal tins for around four weeks; once opened, eat it within three days. OLMA also asks that someone be present to receive the cooler and refrigerate the contents at once, and it says it cannot guarantee quality for a box left unattended on a doorstep. Those instructions are worth reading before you place an order rather than after the box arrives.

What could be better

  • A very short claims window. OLMA's policy says all return claims must be made within 24 hours of receiving the shipment. That is normal for perishables, but it means you should open and check the box on the day it arrives.
  • Delivery restrictions. Perishables are not delivered on Mondays, nor on or immediately after a list of holidays that includes Thanksgiving and Christmas. Anyone planning a holiday party needs to order with those dates in mind. Orders cannot go to PO boxes, and large orders require a signature.
  • Occasional warm arrivals. The minority of unhappy Trustpilot reviewers most often mention packages that arrived with thawed ice packs or items that felt less fresh than expected, along with a few missing items and courier delays. These are a small share of reviews, but they are the risk you accept with any overnight cold chain.
  • Return shipping costs. Unopened items can be refunded, minus shipping, and the buyer pays return postage unless OLMA is at fault.
  • Thin farm detail. Product pages give a country of origin and tasting notes but rarely the farm, the species' Latin name or the processing date. Buyers who care about traceability may want more.
  • Some dated information on the site. The company page still promotes a caviar bar at The Plaza Food Hall, while location listings now describe that outlet as closed. Check before you plan a visit.

Who should choose something else

If you want a single, named farm behind every tin and detailed harvest information, a specialist single-source house may suit you better. If you only buy caviar once a year and want it in a supermarket, some grocery chains stock tins from wholesalers like OLMA, and buying in person removes the delivery risk. And if you cannot guarantee someone will be home to sign for a cold box, any overnight caviar delivery, including OLMA's, will be a gamble; consider collecting from a local specialist instead.

Finally, if the goal is the flavour and pop of roe on a budget rather than a premium imported grade, American roes such as Paddlefish, Hackleback or Bowfin, or salmon roe, are far cheaper. OLMA sells those too, so it can still be the shop, just not the premium tin.

OLMA Caviar review: what other reviewers found

  • The Daily Beast included OLMA in its guide to buying caviar online, pointing to its range of sturgeon varieties, its overnight FedEx or UPS shipping with insurance, and its free loyalty programme.
  • Trustpilot customers rate OLMA highly overall and most often praise freshness and well-packed, cold deliveries; the negative minority centres on boxes that arrived warm, missing items and delays.
  • The Daily Meal reported on OLMA's Upper West Side tasting lounge and worked through a flight running from salmon roe and American roes up to Osetra and Beluga, describing an upscale, polished setting.
  • The food blog I Just Want To Eat enjoyed an eight-variety tasting at the same lounge and found the grades clearly different from one another, but wished each caviar had come with a written description so they could be compared properly.

Where the reviews agree and disagree

The sources agree on the two things that matter most for an online caviar shop: OLMA's range is unusually broad, and the product itself is consistently well regarded. The Daily Beast, the tasting-room writers and the bulk of Trustpilot customers all land on breadth and freshness as the reasons to buy.

The disagreement is about logistics rather than quality. Editorial writers mention overnight shipping as a feature; a share of customers report the moments when it did not work, usually a warm box or a delayed courier. Both can be true. Overnight cold-chain delivery succeeds the vast majority of the time, and when it fails the outcome depends on how quickly you report it. For a buyer, that means two simple habits: choose a delivery day when someone is home, and open the cooler on arrival so any claim falls well within OLMA's 24-hour window.

The tasting-room reviews also point to a gap the website shares: varieties are clearly named, but newcomers would benefit from more guidance on how the grades differ. If you are new to caviar, start with a small jar of two contrasting varieties rather than one large tin.

Is OLMA Caviar worth it?

For most people buying caviar online in the US, yes. OLMA combines a long track record, a wholesale-scale range, sensible federal-rule compliance, overnight insulated shipping and a strong customer reputation. Its weaknesses are the ordinary weaknesses of perishable delivery, made a little sharper by a short claims window and holiday blackout dates. Plan the delivery, check the box on arrival, and it is one of the easiest ways to put good caviar on the table.

Frequently asked questions

Is OLMA Caviar legit?

Yes. OLMA is an established Brooklyn importer, packer and wholesaler with a production facility, a published phone line and a long public review record. Trustpilot showed a TrustScore of 4.5 out of 5 from about two and a half thousand reviews when we checked, and the company replies to nearly every negative review. It also says it holds CITES permits for imported sturgeon caviar, as federal rules require.

How does OLMA ship caviar?

Every order with perishable items goes by FedEx or UPS overnight service in an insulated polystyrene cooler with gel ice packs, which OLMA says holds temperature for at least 72 hours. Weekday orders placed before the afternoon cut-off ship the same day. There are no Monday deliveries for perishables and no deliveries on or just after several major holidays, so plan ahead for celebrations.

How long does OLMA caviar last?

According to OLMA's FAQ, unopened caviar in glass jars keeps for up to six months and metal tins for about four weeks, provided it stays at 34 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, ideally on ice in the fridge. Once a jar or tin is opened, OLMA recommends finishing it within three days and pressing plastic wrap onto the surface before resealing to limit contact with air.

What is OLMA's return policy?

OLMA asks for any return claim within 24 hours of receiving the shipment. Unopened items can be refunded minus shipping costs, and the customer pays return postage unless OLMA made the error. Damage in transit should be reported to the courier straight away. Because the window is short, open and inspect the cooler on the day it arrives.

Is OLMA caviar real sturgeon caviar?

OLMA sells both. Its Osetra, Kaluga, Beluga Hybrid, Sevruga, Sterlet and similar lines are farmed sturgeon caviar, and Hackleback comes from the American shovelnose sturgeon, while Bowfin, Paddlefish and salmon roe come from other fish. FDA labelling guidance says non-sturgeon roe should carry the fish's name, and OLMA names the species on each product, so check the product title to know which you are buying.

Sources