Hermes Gehnen is the 27-year-old Chinese-German founder and CEO of caviar company N25. The caviar (the roe of various species of sturgeon fish) he produces is served at some of the top restaurants in the world, including The Ledbury, Ikoyi and Da Terra in London, Jan Hartwig in Munich, and Amador in Vienna. Last year he also launched Umai, a brand that makes caviar more affordable and accessible.
Ahead of the indulgent December festive period, when sales of caviar traditionally spike, The Hong Konger speaks to Gehnen about sourcing from China, his innovations in roe ageing and how perceptions of the luxury product are changing.
Please tell us a little about your background.
My father is German and my mother is Chinese. I was born in Germany before my family moved to China. Growing up in Beijing was incredible and inspiring because of its multiculturalism and large international community. When I was 18, I returned to Munich for university and have lived here ever since.
Why did you decide to launch N25?
During my time at university studying biology, I had a passion for gastronomy and fine dining. On discovering that the best caviar is farmed in China, and being half Chinese and half German, I was intrigued.
After several years of research and being immersed in the world of caviar production, I wanted to start a brand to showcase the epitome of caviar and what is possible with this product when you push boundaries and seek perfection every step of the way. N25 demonstrates that caviar can be flavourful and complex while retaining purity and elegance.
Do you own the caviar farms or work with sturgeon farmers?
We work very closely and keep close relationships with our farming partners. With these carefully maintained relationships, N25 always has the first pick on the sturgeons for harvest, ensuring that the caviar roe is already of the best quality. However, the real magic happens during the maturation process in Germany that sets N25 apart.
Why did you decide to source from farms in China?
Aside from China being the largest producer and exporter of caviar, China also has the most expertise in sturgeon farming with extensive know-how in producing excellent caviar. The sturgeon farms we work with are hand-selected with strict criteria including location, environment, sustainability and relationships.
These aquaculture facilities are enclosed farms that do not disturb any natural bodies of water and disrupt the local ecosystem. Additionally, the facilities are fed with spring water, creating a clean environment for the sturgeons to grow in, resulting in more matured sturgeons with fatty roes.
What is the process in Germany?
After the harvest of the sturgeon roe, production then begins in Germany at our headquarters in Munich, where the extensive ageing and grading processes takes place. We cure the roe with German mineral salt to draw out moisture through osmosis – roe with high fat content can withstand the ageing process in our sub-zero temperature chamber.
The ageing process is specific to each species of sturgeon and is very precise. It can take months of patience. The resulting caviar then undergoes strict visual and sensory quality control at the hands of our caviar masters who abide by strict selection parameters. From this meticulous grading process, only the top 10% of the roe that meet all the stringent criteria receive the N25 label.
Please tell us more about your caviar innovations.
Innovation is seen in every aspect of N25 – our production takes place in a laboratory-like space rather than a traditional factory.
The sub-zero temperature chamber for the ageing of the caviar is the most important part of the laboratory. We keep this secured and the products categorised for easy access and monitoring throughout the ageing process, ensuring that the caviar is not underaged or overaged. It is the ageing in this chamber that transforms the caviar, giving it N25’s rich nuttiness and umami flavours.
We also have a UV-C (germicidal UV light) and ozone sterilising chamber by our packing station, which is custom-made to fit all tin packaging and grading tools, ensuring the lab standard of food hygiene and safety is never compromised.
Please tell us why you launched your Umai brand.
We launched Umai last year to make caviar more approachable and playful. I wanted to inspire more interest in consumers and to showcase creative ways to enjoy caviar. Umai differs from N25 as it offers caviar in flavour profiles rather than specific sturgeon species. With the two flavour profiles of “Heritage” and “Modern” in the range, Umai simplifies caviar consumption, allowing consumers to choose their desired tin without requiring extensive knowledge of the delicacy.
Are perceptions of caviar changing?
Caviar is breaking out of high-end restaurants and into more trendy, or non-Michelin-starred, places in recent years. Additionally, through viral social media sensations, customers who were not connoisseurs are exposed to caviar a lot more and have become more adventurous when dining out, as well as cooking at home. To some, caviar can be a little intimidating, but online exposure has been changing this preconception of the delicacy.
