Mentaiko (明太子) is made from whole roe sacs of Alaskan pollack (a member of the cod family), which are cured with salt and marinated in various seasonings and spices. It is sometimes referred as karashi mentaiko (辛子明太子), which means spicy pollack/cod roe. “Karashi” means spicy in Japanese, so Karashi Mentaiko is the spicy version of mentaiko.
Originated from Korean cuisine, mentaiko became popular in Japan after World War Two. In Japan, most of the mentaiko are from Fukuoka, a city in the southern island of Kyushu, where there are over three hundred of mentaiko producers in the city alone.
How Do You Eat Karashi Mentaiko?
In Japanese cooking, mentaiko is often enjoyed as a side dish to accompany steamed rice (just like pickled vegetables), or as a topping for Ochazuke, or used as filling inside of Onigiri (rice balls). You can be eat it either raw or cooked.
Another wildly popular mentaiko dish in Japan is Mentaiko Pasta, a type of wafu pasta where the noodles are coated in a simple butter or a cream and mayonnaise sauce infused with the salty and flavorful spicy cod roe.
Where to Buy Karashi Mentaiko?
You can find karashi mentaiko at Japanese grocery stores or Korean grocery stores in the refrigerator and freezer sections. It is often sold in its natural membrane, or in jars, the membrane removed and ready to eat.
Recipes Using Mentaiko
Do you have a recipe for chilli tobiko? How do they make it red?
I love your recipes and thank for them!
Renee
Hi Renee! The redness (if not coloring) should come from Togarashi (chili pepper), just like Karashi Mentaiko. Sorry I don’t have the recipe for it… Thank you for trying my recipes, Renee!
Do you have any tips on choosing Tarako (still in the membrane) ? Do I choose the more pinkish ones or the reddish brown ones? Does the colour indicate freshness?
Hi Nix! It’s better to pick that is lighter in pink, if it’s too red, they use too much coloring. If you see a dark reddish line, that’s blood vessel and it doesn’t give you a good texture when you bite. Pick tarako skin without wrinkles as it’s fresher. 🙂
Hi I really love mentaiko pasta and love finding out about it from your blog! I just bought some mentaiko from the fresh supermarket and it came with a little red sauce in a sachet . Would you be able to tell me what sauce is that? Is is supposed to make it more spicy?
Hi Sonia! Interesting. I’ve never seen an additional tube sold together with Karashi Mentaiko. I’d assume so… send me a picture if there is any instruction written. 🙂