| Alaska pollock roe | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||
| Korean name | |||||||
| Hangul | 명란 | ||||||
| Hanja | 明卵 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | Alaska pollock roe | ||||||
| |||||||
| Japanese name | |||||||
| Kanji | 鱈子 | ||||||
| Kana | たらこ | ||||||
| |||||||
| Russian name | |||||||
| Russian | икраминтая | ||||||
| Romanization | ikra mintaya | ||||||
Pollock roe,also pollack roe (also known as myeongnan and tarako) is the roe of Alaska pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) which,despite its name,is a species of cod. Salted pollock roe is a popular culinary ingredient in Korean,Japanese,and Russian cuisines.
The purely Korean name for pollock,myeongtae had been assigned the Chinese character form 明太,which can be read as mentai in Japanese. But while the Japanese borrowed this name from Korean and called it mentaiko, [1] the term does not retain the originally meaning of plain raw roe,but specifically refers the chili pepper-added cured roe,while salt-cured only types are called tarako. [1] [2] [3]
As aforementioned,Alaska pollock in Korean is myeongtae (명태,明太),hence pollock roe is myeongnan (명란,明卵),a contracted form of the compound with +ran or +nan (란,卵) meaning "egg (roe)".
The salted roe dish is called myeongnan-jeot (명란젓),being considered a type of jeot (젓) or jeotgal ,which is a category of salted seafood.
In Japanese,(salted) pollock roe is called tarako (鱈子), [2] [3] though it literally means 'cod roe', [lower-alpha 1] while true cod roe is distinguished by calling it hontarako. [4] [5] The pollock roe,also known as momijiko,are usually salted and dyed red. [4] [5] [lower-alpha 2]
Pollock roe cured with red chili pepper are 明太子 (mentaiko); [5] [2] to put it another way,mentaiko refers to chili-laced versions of tarako,generally speaking, [1] even if not qualified as karashi-mentaiko with the prefix meaning 'chili'. [lower-alpha 3]
In Russian,pollock roe is called ikra mintaya (икраминтая). The word is also used to referred to the salted roe. The Russian word ikra (икра) means "roe" and mintaya (минтая) is the singular genitive form of mintay (минтай),which means Alaska pollock. The word is also derived from its Korean cognate,myeongtae (명태).
Koreans have been enjoying pollock roe since the Joseon era (1392–1897). One of the earliest mentions are from Diary of the Royal Secretariat ,where a 1652 entry stated:"The management administration should be strictly interrogated for bringing in pollock roe instead of cod roe." [6] Recipe for salted pollock roe is found in a 19th-century cookbook, Siuijeonseo .
A 1696 Japanese book records the use of Alaska pollock's roe in Northern land. [7]
The dish mentaiko originates from Korea,but after more than 100 years of modification,most of the pollack roe consumed in Japan is Japanese mentaiko. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] Toshio Kawahara ( 川原俊夫 ,Kawahara Toshio),who was born in the city of Busan,Korea during the Japanese occupation,founded the oldest mentaiko company in Japan called "Aji no Mentaiko Fukuya" (ja:ふくや) after World War II. He made several modifications to myeongnan-jeot to adapt to Japanese tastes and introduced it to Japan as "Karashi mentaiko" (ja:辛子明太子),its popular name is "mentaiko". The milder,less spicy version is called tarako (鱈子) in Japan. Eventually,Mentaiko is quite different from Korean myeongnan-jeot,and so much more is consumed. And Japan's mentaiko is also imported back to Korea. [8]
 | |
| Alternative names | Myeongnan Myeongnan-jeot Tarako Mentaiko Ikra mintaya |
|---|---|
| Type | Jeotgal |
| Course | Banchan |
| Place of origin | Korea |
| Associated cuisine | Korean cuisine Japanese cuisine Russian cuisine |
| Main ingredients | Roe of Alaska pollock |
| Salted Alaska pollock roe | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Korean name | |||||||
| Hangul | 명란젓 | ||||||
| Hanja | 明卵- | ||||||
| Literal meaning | Alaska pollock roe jeotgal | ||||||
| |||||||
| Japanese name | |||||||
| Kanji | 鱈子／（辛子）明太子 | ||||||
| Kana | たらこ／（からし）めんたいこ | ||||||
| |||||||
| Russian name | |||||||
| Russian | икраминтая | ||||||
| Romanization | ikra mintaya | ||||||
Traditionally, myeongnan-jeot was made before dongji (winter solstice). Intact skeins of Alaska pollock roe are washed carefully with salt water, then salted in a sokuri (bamboo basket). The ratio of salt to roe ranges from less than 5:100 to more than 15:100. After 2–3 days, salted and drained roe is marinated for at least a day with fine gochutgaru (chilli powder) and finely minced garlic. myeongnan-jeot is usually served with sesame seeds or some drops of sesame oil.
Myeongnan-jeot, whether raw, dried, and/or cooked, is a common banchan (side dish) and anju (food served with alcoholic beverages). It is also used in a variety of dishes, such as gyeran-jjim (steamed egg), bokkeum-bap (fried rice), and recently in Korean-style Italian pasta dishes.
Myeongnan-jeot is a specialty of South Hamgyong Province of North Korea, and Gangwon Province and Busan of South Korea.
Mentaiko, adapted from Korean myeongnan-jeot, [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] hence the name mentai (derived from the Korean myeongtae, 명태, 明太, meaning pollack) + ko (Korean 알, 子, meaning baby/roe), is common in Japan. It is made in a variety of flavors and colors and is available at airports and main train stations. It is usually eaten with onigiri, but is also enjoyed by itself with sake. A common variety is spicy mentaiko ( 辛子明太子 , karashi mentaiko). It is a product of the Hakata ward of Fukuoka City. Milder version is called tarako (鱈子),
Recently in Japan, mentaiko pasta has become common. Mentaiko is mixed with butter or mayonnaise and used as a sauce for spaghetti. Thin strips of Nori (海苔) and Shiso leaves are often sprinkled on top.
Mentaiko was nominated as Japan's number one side dish in the Japanese weekly magazine, Shūkan Bunshun . [15]
Tarako is served in a number of ways: plain (usually for breakfast), [16] as a filling for onigiri , and as a pasta sauce (usually with nori ). Traditionally, tarako was dyed bright red, but recent concerns about the safety of food coloring have all but eliminated that custom. [16] In Kyūshū, tarako is commonly served with red chili pepper flakes.
In Russia, pollock roe is consumed as a sandwich spread. The product, resembling liquid paste due to the small size of eggs and oil added, is sold as canned food.
As mentioned above, in Russian, the word for pollock roe is the same as for the caviar: "ikra". The same goes to a dish, known to the French as "caviar d'aubergine": "кабачковая икра", although it's a spread made of eggplants.
To make the pollock roe taste in a caviar-like way, one should make a butterbrot first e.g. to apply butter to the bread before adding the canned pollock roe. This will smoothen the excessive saltiness of the canned roe.
Onigiri, also known as omusubi (お結び), nigirimeshi (握り飯), or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes and often wrapped in nori. Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume (umeboshi), salted salmon, katsuobushi, kombu, tarako, mentaiko, takanazuke or any other salty or sour ingredient as a natural preservative. Because it is easily portable and eaten by hand, onigiri has been used as portable food or bento from ancient times to the present day. Originally, it was used as a way to use and store left-over rice, but it later became a regular meal. Many Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets stock their onigiri with various fillings and flavors. It has become so mainstream that it is even served in izakayas and sit-down restaurants. There are even specialized shops which only sell onigiri to take out. Due to the popularity of this trend in Japan, onigiri has become a popular staple in Japanese restaurants worldwide.
Roe, or hard roe, is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooked ingredient in many dishes, and as a raw ingredient for delicacies such as caviar.
Taramasalata or taramosalata is a meze made from tarama, the salted and cured roe of the cod, carp, or grey mullet (bottarga) mixed with olive oil, lemon juice, and a starchy base of bread or potatoes, or sometimes almonds. Variants may include garlic, spring onions, or peppers, or vinegar instead of lemon juice. While not traditionally Greek, smoked rather than cured cod's roe is more widely available in some places, and often used. Bottarga is usually much more expensive than cod's roe.
Milt is the seminal fluid of fish, mollusks, and certain other water-dwelling animals which reproduce by spraying this fluid, which contains the sperm, onto roe. It can also refer to the sperm sacs or testes that contain the semen.
Jjigae are Korean stews. There are many varieties; they are typically made with meat, seafood or vegetables in a broth seasoned with gochujang, doenjang, ganjang or saeu-jeot. Jjigae is often served as a communal dish.
Fresh fish rapidly deteriorates unless some way can be found to preserve it. Drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the food, which inhibits the growth of microorganisms. Open air drying using sun and wind has been practiced since ancient times to preserve food. Water is usually removed by evaporation but, in the case of freeze-drying, food is first frozen and then the water is removed by sublimation. Bacteria, yeasts and molds need the water in the food to grow, and drying effectively prevents them from surviving in the food.
In Japan, it is customary to serve alcoholic drinks with snacks called sakana, shukō, or otsumami (お摘み). These are usually quite salty and served in relatively small portions. Sakana are usually more substantial than tapas, although they are not considered a meal since they are not accompanied by rice. Traditionally, the Japanese regarded sake, which is made from rice, as a substitute for white rice served in a standard Japanese meal, and as a result some Japanese do not eat rice and drink alcohol simultaneously.
The Alaska pollock or walleye pollock is a marine fish species of the cod genus Gadus and family Gadidae.
Many cuisines feature eggplant salads and appetizers.
Gyeran-jjim (Korean: 계란찜), Dalgyal-jjim (달걀찜) or steamed eggs is a type of jjim, Korean steamed dish. It is a custardy, casserole-like banchan, often seasoned with saeu-jeot or myeongnan-jeot and topped with scallions and toasted sesame seeds. The ideal gyeran-jjim is light and fluffy.
Cod and other cod-like fish have been widely used as food through history. Other cod-like fish come from the same family (Gadidae) that cod belong to, such as haddock, pollock, and whiting.
Red caviar is a caviar made from the roe of salmonid fishes, which has an intense reddish hue. It is distinct from black caviar, which is made from the roe of sturgeon.
Alaska pollock, a species of cod (Gadus) found in the North Pacific ocean, is used as food globally. Compared with common pollock, Alaska pollock is milder in taste, whiter in color, and lower in oil content.
Gyeran-mari, dalgyal-mari (달걀말이) or rolled omelette is a dish in Korean cuisine. It is a savory banchan made with beaten eggs mixed with several finely diced ingredients, then progressively fried and rolled. Common ingredients include vegetables, mushroom, processed meat, salt or salted seafood, and cheese. Optionally, gim (seaweed) is folded with the omelette. When served, the omelette is cut into 2–3 centimetres (0.79–1.18 in) slices. It is also a common anju found at pojangmacha.
Baechu-kimchi (배추김치), translated as napa cabbage kimchi or simply kimchi is a quintessential banchan in Korean cuisine, made with salted, seasoned, and fermented napa cabbages.
Ojingeo-jeot (오징어젓) or salted squid is a jeotgal made by salting and fermenting thinly sliced squid. It is a popular banchan with high protein, vitamin and mineral contents.
karashi-mentaiko (mentaiko) - krydret variant af tarako, som er saltet torskerogn.. med.. japansk chili (togarashi) [karashi-mentaiko (mentaiko) - spicy variant of tarako, which is salted cod roe...with.. Japanese chili (togarashi).]
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