It is manufactured by Abba Seafood.[1] Kalles Kaviar is mainly made of salted cod roe (Gadus morhua), sugar, canola oil and spices. It was introduced in 1954, and soon became considered a classic product in the Swedish market, internationally recognised as a Swedish product.
The tube label has maintained the same design from the beginning, and depicts the son of the then-CEO of the manufacturing company, Carl Ameln.[2] The name Kalle[3] was used because it was a popular name in the 1950's when it was first created.
The tube had to be made of aluminium rather than plastic because kaviar can't stay fresh when in contact with air - plastic tubes become filled with air when the contents have been squeezed out, whereas aluminium remains in the form it was pressed into.
In 2011, IKEA decided to take it out of its stores and replace it with its own brand caviar but this caused such an uproar,[4] that within a few years, they brought it back, and you can now find it in most IKEA[5] stores around the world.
In the 21st century, the Swedish smörgåskaviar market has fractured, with each supermarket chain promoting its own brand.[6]
