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 cuisine Russian cuisine is a collection of the different dishes and cooking traditions of the Russian people as well as a list of culinary products popular in Russia, with most names being known since pre-Soviet times, coming from all kinds of social ...

Names

In Korean, pollock roe is called ''myeongnan'' (), while the salted roe dish is called ''myeongnan-jeot'' (), being considered a type of ''

jeotgal ''Jeotgal'' () or ''jeot'' (), translated as salted seafood, is a category of salted preserved dishes made with seafood such as shrimps, oysters, clams, fish, and roe. Depending on the ingredients, ''jeotgal'' can range from flabby, solid pi ...

'' (salted seafood). The Korean word ''myeongnan'' () means pollock roe as ''myeong'' () came from ''myeongtae'' (), the Korean word for Alaska pollock, and ''ran'' (), also pronounced ''nan'', means "egg (roe)". As '' jeot'' () is a category of salted seafood, the compound ''myeongnan-jeot'' () refers to salted pollock roe. The Japanese word for pollock roe is ''tarako.'' Pollock food products are often called ''karashi-mentaiko'' or ''mentaiko'', a compound of ''mentai'' (), borrowed from its Korean

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical ef ...

''myeongtae'' meaning Alaska pollock, and ''ko'' (), a Japanese word for "child (roe)". Alaska pollock are called ''suketōdara'' () in Japanese. means cod in Japanese. ''Tarako'' () literally means "cod roe", but generally refers to smaller salted roe sacs. In Russian, pollock roe is called ''ikra mintaya'' (). The word is also used to referred to the salted roe. The Russian word ''ikra'' () means "roe" and ''mintaya'' () is the singular genitive form of (), which means Alaska pollock. The word is also derived from its Korean cognate, ''myeongtae'' ().

History

Korea

Koreans have been enjoying pollock roe since the

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

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." Recipe for salted pollock roe is found in a 19th-century cookbook, '' Siuijeonseo''.

Japan

A 1696 Japanese book records the use of Alaska pollock's roe in Northern land. The dish ''mentaiko'' originates from Korea and is originally the Korean ''myeongnan-jeot''. , who was born in the city of

Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea ...

, 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 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. He made slight 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'' () in Japan.

Salted pollock roe

Korea

Traditionally, ''myeongnan-jeot'' was made before ''dongji'' (winter solstice). Intact skeins of Alaska pollock roe are washed carefully with

salt water Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish w ...

, 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 Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeas ...

. ''myeongnan-jeot'' is usually served with sesame seeds or some drops of

sesame oil Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. ...

. ''Myeongnan-jeot'', whether raw, dried, and/or cooked, is a common

banchan ''Banchan'' (, from Korean: ) or bansang are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. As the Korean language does not distinguish between singular and plural grammatically, the word is used for both one such dish o ...

(side dish) and anju (food served with alcoholic beverages). It is also used in a variety of dishes, such as ''

gyeran-jjim ''Gyeran-jjim'' (), ''Dalgyal-jjim'' () or steamed eggs is a type of ''jjim'', Korean steamed dish. * It is a custardy, casserole-like ''banchan'' (side dish), often seasoned with '' saeu-jeot'' (salted shrimp) or '' myeongnan-jeot'' (salted poll ...

'' (steamed egg), '' bokkeum-bap'' (fried rice), and recently in Korean-style Italian pasta dishes. ''Myeongnan-jeot'' is a specialty of

South Hamgyong Province South Hamgyong Province (, ''Hamgyŏngnamdo''; ) is a province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Hamgyong Province, remained a province of Korea until 1945, then became a province of North Kor ...

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

, and Gangwon Province and

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. File:Myeongnanjeot (pollock roe) in a market.jpg, '' Myeongnan-jeot'' sold in a market File:Vacuum-packed myeongnanjeot (pollock roe).jpg, Vacuum-packed ''myeongnan-jeot'' File:Myeongnanjeot (pollock roe).jpg, Heavily seasoned ''myeongnan-jeot'' File:Myeongnan-jeot-muchim.jpg, ''Myeongnan-jeot-

muchim Namul ( ko, 나물) refers to either a variety of edible grass or leaves or seasoned herbal dishes made of them. Wild greens are called ''san-namul'' (, "mountain namul"), and spring vegetables are called ''bom-namul'' (, "spring namul"). On t ...

'' (salted pollock roe salad) File:Myeongnan-jeot-gyeran-mari.jpg, ''Myeongnan-jeot- gyeran-mari'' (rolled omelette with salted pollock roe) File:Myeongnanjeot (pollock roe) in jjigae.jpg, ''Myeongnnan-jeot'' in '' jjigae'' (stew) File:Myeongnanjeot pizza (pollock roe).jpg, ''Myeongnan-jeot''

pizza Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, on ...

Japan

''Mentaiko'', adapted from Korean ''myeongnan-jeot'', hence the name mentai ''myeongtae'' (명태,明太, pollack) + ko(알, 子, baby or 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 Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and in ...

. A common variety is . It is a product of the

Hakata is a ward of the city of Fukuoka in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Many of Fukuoka Prefecture and Fukuoka City's principal government, commercial, retail and entertainment establishments are located in the district. Hakata-ku is also the location o ...

ward of Fukuoka City. Milder version is called ''tarako'' (), 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 Nori is a dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cuisine, made from species of the red algae genus '' Pyropia'', including ''P. yezonesis'' and '' P. tenera''. It has a strong and distinctive flavor, and is often used to wrap rolls of sushi or ...

(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''. Tarako is served in a number of ways: plain (usually for breakfast), as a filling for '' onigiri'', and as a

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, ...

sauce (usually with ''

nori Nori is a dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cuisine, made from species of the red algae genus '' Pyropia'', including ''P. yezonesis'' and '' P. tenera''. It has a strong and distinctive flavor, and is often used to wrap rolls of sushi or ...

''). Traditionally, tarako was dyed bright red, but recent concerns about the safety of

food coloring Food coloring, or color additive, is any dye, pigment, or substance that imparts color when it is added to food or drink. They come in many forms consisting of liquids, powders, gels, and pastes. Food coloring is used in both commercial food ...

have all but eliminated that custom. In

Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...

, tarako is commonly served with red

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

flakes. File:Tarako.jpg, ''Tarako'' File:Mentaiko.jpg, ''Mentaiko'' File:Baked mentaiko by ayustety in Marunouchi, Tokyo.jpg, Baked ''mentaiko'' File:Mentaiko Chazuke (15442101167).jpg, ''Mentaiko-

chazuke ''Chazuke'' ( 茶漬け, ちゃづけ) or ''ochazuke'' ( お茶漬け, from ( o)''cha'' ' tea' + ''tsuke'' 'submerge') is a simple Japanese dish made by pouring green tea,spaghetti File:Tarako_spaghetti.jpg, ''Tarako'' spaghetti

Russia

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

, 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 canned. File:Alaska pollock roe Russia.jpg, ''Ikra mintaya'' spread

References

External links

* {{Roe Japanese seafood Jeotgal Korean cuisine Roe Korean seafood

Names

History

Korea

Japan

Salted pollock roe

Korea

Japan

Russia

See also

References

External links