Bottarga

Bottarga is salted, cured fish roe pouch, typically of the grey mullet or the bluefin tuna ( ). It is a feature of Italian cuisine; forms of the dish from other parts of the world include Taiwanese , which is softer, and Korean , from mullet or freshwater drum. It has many names and is prepared in various ways. Due to its scarcity and involved preparation it is expensive and regarded as a delicacy.

Bottarga is salted, cured fish roe pouch, typically of the grey mullet or the bluefin tuna ( ). It is a feature of Italian cuisine; forms of the dish from other parts of the world include Taiwanese , which is softer, and Korean , from mullet or freshwater drum. It has many names and is prepared in various ways. Due to its scarcity and involved preparation it is expensive and regarded as a delicacy. ==History== 's instruction on ootaricho (the medieval Greek form of the word): avoid it totally. BNF MS suppl. grec 634, f. 254v detail.]] Bottarga production is first documented in the Nile Delta in the 10th century BCE. In the 15th century, Martino da Como describes the production of bottarga by salting then smoking to dry it. ==Preparation== Bottarga is made chiefly from the roe pouch of grey mullet. Sometimes it is prepared from Atlantic bluefin tuna ( ) or yellowfin tuna. It is massaged by hand to eliminate air pockets, then dried and cured in sea salt for a few weeks. The result is a hard, dry slab. Formerly, it was generally coated in beeswax to preserve it, as it still is in Greece and Egypt. ==Regions== ===Tunisia=== Orange and molded in wax or vacuum sealed, Tunisian bottarga is made from mullet eggs and is known as a sought-after product. Initially a feature of the Judeo-Tunisian cuisine, it was introduced in Tunisia by Jews from Constantinople during Ottoman rule, as early as the 16th century. ===Egypt=== Bottarga is produced in the Port Said area. ===Greece=== In Greece, it is called or ( ) and is produced primarily from the flathead mullet caught in Greek lagoons. The whole mature ovaries are removed from the fish, washed with water, salted with natural sea salt, dried under the sun, and sealed in melted beeswax. Avgotaracho Messolonghiou, made from fish caught in the Messolonghi-Etoliko Lagoons, is a European and Greek protected designation of origin, one of the few seafood products with a PDO. ===Italy=== from Favignana, Sicily]] In Italy, it is made from bluefin tuna in Sicily, and from flathead mullet in Sardinia, where it is called Sardinian . Its culinary properties may be compared to those of dry anchovies, although it is much more expensive. Often, it is served with olive oil or lemon juice as an appetizer accompanied by bread or crostini. It is also used in pasta dishes. ===Mauritania=== Bottarga is produced in Mauritania and Senegal. ===Turkey=== In Turkey, bottarga is made from grey mullet roe. It is listed in the Ark of Taste. It is produced in Dalyan, on the southwestern coast of Turkey, from the mature fish migrating from Lake Köyceğiz. ===United States=== There are several producers in Florida. ===Elsewhere=== There are various small producers elsewhere. For example, bottarga from Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is produced in northern Norway, where it is air-dried. ==References==

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