Answer 1:
Yes, it is as nice as it costs if customers are prepared to pay what the merchants are asking. It will only become ‘not worth it’ when they stop buying it.
It is popular with many people, to the point where the sturgeon has become endangered in many regions of the world. Sturgeon have also been a target for aquaculture, both for their flesh (a firm, white meat) and for their caviar. There are a lot of alternatives for sturgeon roe on the market, which indicates that it’s a popular commodity.
It is certainly not worth it for individuals who do not enjoy caviar.
Answer 2:
If you really want to know where the value is, try kaiseki ryori, which is typically served as an Event, with a variety of little soups and tiny plates of shredded pickled carrot – all extremely delicate (=bland) for the ultra-connoisseur. When the Japanese sit down to a kaiseki supper (not a particularly full one), they say to themselves, “I’m eating forty-five thousand yen worth of classical, oops, salad.”
For Zeus’ sake, the malevolent fugu (blowfish). A qualified chef prepares the fish, which includes extracting the fatal poison glands (even so, a few hapless diners keel over from blowfish poisoning every year). It’s cut into thin tan slices, which I got in trouble for describing as looking and tasting like gum erasers.
“You’re a welcome visitor, Black-san! So keep your cool!”
The killer is that the fugu, which is dull at best, is paired with a hot mustardy-type sauce that overpowers any other flavors.
