【Reading】こもちこんぶ

【English Name】Komochi Kombu (Herring Roe on Kelp)

Komochi-konbu (herring-roe kelp) is formed when spawning-season herring lay their eggs directly onto kelp. It is characterized by golden eggs adhering so as to cover the surface of the kelp, a delicacy in which the kelp and fish roe are naturally unified.

At sushi restaurants it is generally served mainly as a gunkan-maki (battleship roll) topping. Placed in the mouth, one can simultaneously enjoy the umami of the kelp and the distinctive popping texture of the herring eggs. Although they are the same herring eggs as kazunoko, the fact that they are eaten still attached to the kelp adds seaweed-derived minerals and flavor, a major difference.

The main producing areas are the Pacific coast of North America, with British Columbia in Canada and Alaska in the United States being representative. Herring fishing was once active in the waters around Hokkaido as well, but domestic catches plummeted sharply around 1955 as a turning point, and imports now dominate.

The price is generally high, and it is positioned as a luxury topping even at sushi restaurants. Like kazunoko, because of the many egg grains, it is also treated as a lucky charm for prosperity of descendants, and sometimes appears in New Year's dishes and at celebratory occasions.