The cold shelf
What counts as roe
Fish, certainly. Crab, lobster and scallop, yes. The snail, surprisingly. The frog, in spirit.
The definition
Roe is a mass of eggs. Most often a fish's, still together, as they were in the fish. The word also stretches to shellfish: crab, lobster, shrimp, scallop. Nobody has asked the shellfish how they feel about this.
Roe is many eggs, together, without shells. A chicken egg is one egg, alone, inside a shell. It is not roe. It is welcome on the plate in a supporting role.
Caviar is a narrower word. Strictly, it is salted roe from sturgeon. Everything else called caviar is roe that has been promoted.
The roe of the house
| Roe | From | What it is like |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon roe (ikura) | Salmon | Large orange pearls that burst. Bright, briny, a little sweet. |
| Trout roe | Trout | Smaller and firmer than salmon, golden orange, milder. |
| Lumpfish roe | Lumpfish | Small, crunchy, dyed black or red. Inexpensive. The color bleeds, so it goes on last. |
| Tobiko | Flying fish | Tiny and crisp. Often colored or flavored. The sushi counter's roe. |
| Masago | Capelin | Smaller and softer than tobiko, usually cheaper. |
| Mentaiko / tarako | Pollock or cod | A whole sac, salted (tarako) or spiced (mentaiko). Spread it, or stir it into pasta. |
| Bottarga | Grey mullet or tuna | The whole sac, salted and dried. Grated over things like a cheese from the sea. |
| Caviar | Sturgeon | The one the word was made for. Buttery, briny, expensive. |
| Paddlefish, bowfin | Paddlefish, bowfin | Caviar-like roe from sturgeon's cousins and neighbors, at a gentler price. |
The edges of roe
Crab and lobster
Lobster roe is called coral, because it turns red when it is cooked. Crab roe is the reason for she-crab soup. Both are roe by any definition we have found.
Shrimp and scallop
Shrimp roe is dried and used as a seasoning in parts of China. The orange crescent on a scallop is its roe. The scallop keeps it on the outside, where it can be seen.
Sea urchin
Uni is sold as sea urchin roe. It is not, strictly, eggs. It is the urchin's gonads. We consider this a technicality, and the urchin has not objected.
Snails
Snail caviar is real. It comes from land snails, which raises the question of whether roe must come from the water. We have decided it need not. The snail has earned its place by moving slowly toward it.
Frogs
Frog spawn is not eaten as roe, and some amphibian eggs are toxic. The cane toad's eggs are poisonous to most animals that eat them. The frog is included in spirit only. Do not put the frog on the plate. The frog has made its position clear.
The male contribution
Soft roe, also called milt or shirako, is not eggs at all. It is the male fish's contribution. It is eaten, and it is called roe anyway. Language is generous.
Keeping roe
- Keep it in the coldest part of the refrigerator, at the back, never the door.
- Once opened, eat it within two or three days. This has not been difficult. (General guidance on keeping seafood cold: FDA.)
- Serve it cold, on something warm, not mixed in.
- For caviar, use a mother-of-pearl spoon, or bone, or horn. Metal can taint the taste. Tradition insists on this, and we do not argue with tradition.
- Salt the rest of the plate lightly. The roe has brought its own.
Sources
Facts here are checked. The jokes are not.
- Roe and Caviar, Wikipedia
- Sea urchin as food and Snail caviar, Wikipedia
- Milt and Cane toad, Wikipedia
- Selecting and serving seafood safely, U.S. Food and Drug Administration