Roe refers to the ovaries or the eggs of certain seafood like fish, sea urchins and other marine life.

Tobiko (飛び子) is the roe of the Flying Fish. The color of tobiko is usually reddish orange, but when squid ink is added to the tobiko, they can change the color to black. In addition, when yuzu (ユズ), which is a type of Japanese citrus fruit, is added to tobiko, it can change the color to a yellowish color. Tobiko is often used as a topping in sushi. It has a salty taste with a crunchy texture. I just love it because it’s so pretty to look at!

Ikura (イクラ) is the name for salmon eggs. The name Ikura is derived from the Russian word for caviar. It’s similar looking to the tobiko, but it has a darker reddish hue than tobiko. The individual eggs are also larger than tobiko. Ikura is also used as a topping in sushi. In addition, there is a dish called Ikuradon (イクラ丼), which is a bowl of rice topped with salmon roe. For some reason they remind me of small marbles, but unlike marbles they are chewy.

Mentaiko (明太子) is the roe of an Alaska Pollock. Mentaiko is roe that has been marinated. It can be consumed alone, with a drink of sake or with onigiri (お握り). Onigiri is a white rice ball covered with seaweed. Mentaiko is often placed in the center of an onigiri ball. It often gives the onigiri a salty flavor. Mentaiko can come in colors of peach, pink and even reddish pink. They can be alarming to look at because sometimes you can see the veins in Mentaiko.

Sujiko (すじこ) is sometimes confused with Ikura because they are both a form of salmon roe. However, Sujiko has an intense reddish color than Ikura. That’s because Sujiko is salmon roe that is still within its egg sack. In other words, unlike Ikura, Sujiko doesn’t come in individual shaped spherical balls. Sujiko is also sweeter in taste, which is why it’s sometimes preferred over Ikura. Since Sujiko is still in its sack, it’s rarely used as a topping for sushi. However, some skilled sushi chefs know how to prepare it for sushi.

Tarako (鱈子) is similar to Mentaiko. It is roe from an Alaska Pollock. Tarako is salted and dyed with red color dye. However, nowadays health concerns over red dye in food has led to more and more Tarako being prepared without the dye. Tarako can be consumed with rice for breakfast. Sometimes Tarako is used as a pasta sauce. For instance you can find instant Tarako spaghetti in Japanese supermarkets. Tarako spaghetti is usually topped with some seaweed strips.