Alaska pollock roe
Alaska pollack'sliver (top, center), roe (left), andmilt (bottom)
Korean name
Hangul	명란
Hanja	明卵
Literal meaning	Alaska pollock roe
Transcriptions Revised Romanization myeongnan McCune–Reischauer myŏngnan
Japanese name
Kanji	鱈子
Kana	たらこ
Transcriptions Revised Hepburn tarako
Russian name
Russian	икра минтая
Romanization	ikra mintaya

Pollock roe, alsopollack roe (also known astarako inJapanese andmyeongnan inKorean), is theroe ofAlaska pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) which, despite its name, is a species ofcod. Salted pollock roe is a popular culinary ingredient inJapanese,Korean andRussian cuisines.

The purely Korean name forpollock,myeongtae can be written withHanja明太 (명태), which can be read asmentai in Japanese. But while the Japanese borrowed this name from Korean and called itmentaiko,^[1] the term does not retain the original meaning of plain raw roe, but specifically refers the chili pepper-added cured roe, while salt-cured only types are calledtarako.^[1][2][3]

As aforementioned, Alaska pollock in Korean ismyeongtae (Korean: 명태;Hanja: 明太), hence pollock roe ismyeongnan (명란;明卵), a contracted form of thecompound with +ran or +nan (란;卵) meaning "egg (roe)".

The salted roe dish is calledmyeongnan-jeot (명란젓), being considered a type ofjeot (젓) orjeotgal, which is a category of salted seafood.

In Japanese, (salted) pollock roe is calledtarako (鱈子),^[2][3] though it literally means 'cod roe',^[a] while true cod roe is distinguished by calling ithontarako.^[4][5] The pollock roe, also known asmomijiko, are usually salted and dyed red.^[4][5][b]

Pollock roe cured withred chili pepper are 明太子 (mentaiko);^[5][2] to put it another way,mentaiko refers to chili-laced versions oftarako, generally speaking,^[1] even if not qualified askarashi-mentaiko with the prefix meaning 'chili'.^[c]

In Russian, pollock roe is calledikra mintaya (икра минтая). This name is also used to refer to salted roe. The Russian wordikra (икра) means "roe" andmintaya (минтая) is the singular genitive form ofmintay (минтай), which means Alaska pollock. This word is derived from its Korean cognate,myeongtae (명태).

Koreans have been enjoyingpollock roe since theJoseon era (1392–1897). One of the earliest mentions are fromDiary of the Royal Secretariat, where a 1652 entry stated: "The management administration should be strictly interrogated for bringing inpollock roe instead ofcod roe."^[6] Recipe for saltedpollock roe is found in a 19th-century cookbook,Siuijeonseo.

A 1696 Japanese book records the use of Alaska pollock's roe inHokurikudō.^[7]

The dishmentaiko originates from Korea, but after years of modification, most of thepollock 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 ofBusan, Korea during theJapanese occupation, founded the oldest mentaiko company in Japan called "Aji no Mentaiko Fukuya" (ja:ふくや) afterWorld 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 calledtarako (鱈子) in Japan.^[8]

Myeongnan-jeot

Alternative names	Myeongnan Myeongnan-jeot Tarako Mentaiko Ikra mintaya
Type	Jeotgal
Course	Banchan
Place of origin	Korea
Associatedcuisine	Korean cuisine Japanese cuisine Russian cuisine
Main ingredients	Roe ofAlaska pollock
Media: Myeongnan-jeot

Traditionally,myeongnan-jeot was made beforedongji (winter solstice). Intact skeins ofAlaska pollock roe are washed carefully withsalt water, thensalted in asokuri (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 finegochutgaru (chilli powder) and finely mincedgarlic.myeongnan-jeot is usually served with sesame seeds or some drops ofsesame oil.

Myeongnan-jeot, whether raw, dried, and/or cooked, is a commonbanchan (side dish) andanju (food served with alcoholic beverages). It is also used in a variety of dishes, such asgyeran-jjim (steamed egg),bokkeum-bap (fried rice), and recently inKorean-style Italian pasta dishes.

Myeongnan-jeot is a specialty ofSouth Hamgyong Province of North Korea, andGangwon Province andBusan of South Korea.

• 
  Myeongnan-jeot sold in a market
• 
  Vacuum-packedmyeongnan-jeot
• 
  Heavily seasonedmyeongnan-jeot
• 
  Myeongnan-jeot-muchim (salted pollock roe salad)
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  Myeongnan-jeot-gyeran-mari (rolled omelette with salted pollock roe)
• 
  Myeongnnan-jeot injjigae (stew)
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  Myeongnan-jeotpizza

Mentaiko, adapted from Koreanmyeongnan-jeot,^{[9][10][11][12][13][14]} hence the name mentai (derived from the Koreanmyeongtae, 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 withonigiri, but is also enjoyed by itself withsake. A common variety is spicy mentaiko (辛子明太子,karashi mentaiko). It is a product of theHakataward ofFukuoka City. Milder version is calledtarako (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 ofnori (海苔) andshiso leaves are often sprinkled on top.

Pollack roe is dipped in a seasoning liquid. This method was invented in the grocery store "Fukuya(ふくや)" and became common in Japan.^[15][16]

Mentaiko was nominated as Japan's number one side dish in the Japanese weekly magazine,Shūkan Bunshun.^[17]

Tarako is served in a number of ways: plain (usually for breakfast),^[18] as a filling foronigiri, and as apasta sauce (usually withnori). Traditionally, tarako was dyed bright red, but recent concerns about the safety offood coloring have all but eliminated that custom.^[18] InKyūshū, tarako is commonly served with redchili pepper flakes.

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  Tarako
• 
  Mentaiko
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  Bakedmentaiko
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  Mentaiko-chazuke
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  Mentaiko over rice, withnori strips
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  Tarako spaghetti

InRussia, 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 ascanned food.

As mentioned above, in Russian, the word for pollock roe is the same as for thecaviar: "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 abutterbrot first e.g. to applybutter to the bread before adding the canned pollock roe. This will smoothen the excessive saltiness of the canned roe.

• 
  Anopen sandwich with canned roe
• 
  A piece of similar bread with less roe used sinceIkra mintaya (canned roe)is rather salty.^[19]

• Alaska pollock as food
• Jeotgal
• Masago
• Tobiko
• Taramasalata

• Media related toPollock roe at Wikimedia Commons

• Japanese seafood
• Jeotgal
• Korean cuisine
• Roe
• Korean seafood
• Russian cuisine

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