【Reading】めんたいこ

【English Name】Spicy cod roe

Mentaiko is a general term for foods made by processing the ovaries of Alaska pollock. What it refers to differs by region: in central Japan and northward, "karashi mentaiko" (chili-seasoned mentaiko) is abbreviated to mentaiko, whereas in the Kansai region and westward, plain salt-cured tarako (cod roe) itself tends to be called mentaiko.

The name derives from "myeongtae," the Korean word for Alaska pollock. The Joseon-era document Seungjeongwon Ilgi (1652) contains a reference to "myeongtae eggs," which is considered the first appearance in literature.

The widely beloved karashi mentaiko of today is said to have begun when Toshio Kawahara, founder of "Fukuya" in Fukuoka City, devised his own seasoning-liquid marinating method based on the myeongnan-jeot he had eaten in Busan, and began selling it on January 10, 1949. Because Kawahara did not obtain a patent or trademark for the method and even disclosed how to make it to competitors, many manufacturers arose centered on Fukuoka and it spread nationwide.

In sushi it is a standard topping for gunkan-maki, characterized by a popping texture and a balance of spiciness and umami. By shape it is classified into "mako," "kireko," and "barako," and sushi restaurants often use loosened roe. As for the raw material, Alaska pollock roe is largely imported from Alaska and Russia in addition to the seas near Hokkaido.