Taramasalata or taramosalata (; from 'fish roe' < +

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

: 'salad' < ) is a

meze ''Meze'' (also spelled ''mezze'' or ''mezé'') (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in Eastern Mediterranean cuisines. It is similar to Spanish cuisine, Spanish tapas and Italian cuisine, Italian Antipasto, antipasti. A ''me ...

made from ''tarama'', the salted and cured

roe Roe, ( ) or hard roe, is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooking, c ...

(colloquially referred to as

caviar Caviar or caviare is a food consisting of salt-cured roe of the family Acipenseridae. Caviar is considered a delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or spread. Traditionally, the term caviar refers only to roe from wild sturgeon in the Caspi ...

) of the

cod Cod (: cod) is the common name for the demersal fish genus ''Gadus'', belonging to the family (biology), family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gad ...

carp The term carp (: carp) is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family (biology), family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized game fish, quarries and a ...

, or grey mullet (

bottarga Bottarga is salted, cured fish roe pouch, typically of the Mugil cephalus, grey mullet or the Atlantic bluefin tuna, bluefin tuna (). The best-known version is produced around the Mediterranean cuisine, Mediterranean; similar foods are the Japane ...

) mixed with olive oil, lemon juice, and a starchy base of bread or potatoes, or sometimes almonds. Variants may include garlic, spring onions, or peppers, or vinegar instead of lemon juice. While not traditionally Greek, smoked rather than cured cod's roe is more widely available in some places, and often used.

Bottarga Bottarga is salted, cured fish roe pouch, typically of the Mugil cephalus, grey mullet or the Atlantic bluefin tuna, bluefin tuna (). The best-known version is produced around the Mediterranean cuisine, Mediterranean; similar foods are the Japane ...

is usually much more expensive than cod roe. Traditionally the dish is made with a

pestle and mortar A mortar and pestle is a set of two simple tools used to prepare ingredients or substances by crushing and grinding them into a fine paste or powder in the kitchen, laboratory, and pharmacy. The ''mortar'' () is characteristically a bowl, t ...

, giving a slightly grainy texture, but commercial taramasalata is usually very smooth. Taramasalata is usually served as a ''

'', often with

ouzo Ouzo (, ) is a dry anise-flavored aperitif that is widely consumed in Cyprus and Greece. It is made from rectified spirits that have undergone a process of distillation and flavoring. Its taste is similar to other anise liquors like pastis, sam ...

, as a spread on bread. The colour can vary from creamy beige to pink, depending on the type of roe and colourings used. Most taramasalata sold commercially is dyed pink, but high-quality taramasalata is beige. In Greece, taramasalata is often served on

Clean Monday Clean Monday (, ''Kathara Deftera''), also known as Pure Monday, Green Monday or simply Monday of Lent is the first day of Great Lent throughout Eastern Christianity and is a moveable feast, falling on the sixth Monday before Palm Sunday whic ...

(, ), the first day of

Great Lent Great Lent, or the Great Fast (Greek language, Greek: Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστή, ''Megali Tessarakosti'' or Μεγάλη Νηστεία, ''Megali Nisteia'', meaning "Great 40 Days", and "Great Fast", respectively), is the most impor ...

, with onions and lemon.Susanna Hoffman, Victoria Wise, ''The Olive and the Caper: Adventures in Greek Cooking'', 2004, , p. 43

Etymology

Borrowed from Greek word ''ταραμάς'' (roe), itself a borrowing from Turkish ''tarama''. Normally, ''tarama'' is the salted roe itself, but sometimes the prepared dish is also called ''tarama''. The spelling taramosalata reflects the Greek, but in English the ''a'' spelling is common.

A similar dip or spread, ' ('roe salad' in
Romanian Romanian may refer to: anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania Romanians, an ethnic group Romanian language, a Romance language Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
) is also common in
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
and
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
(known as , or ), and
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
(where it is known as ''ikra)''. It is made with pike or carp roe, but generally with sunflower or vegetable oil instead of olive oil, sometimes with a thickener like white bread. It is mass-produced and is widely available in grocery shops and supermarkets, as well as being made at home, in which case chopped onions are commonly added. It has a consistency and taste similar to
mayonnaise Mayonnaise (), colloquially referred to as "mayo" (), is a thick, creamy sauce with a rich and tangy taste that is commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, Salad#Bound salads, bound salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various o ...
, with the roe taking the place of the egg as protein. The traditional production method of ''salată de icre'' is standardized under the Romanian departmental standard N.I.D. 927-70 N 23 and registered as an EU
Traditional Speciality Guaranteed A traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG; : traditional specialities guaranteed) is a traditional food product protected under European Union and/or United Kingdom law. This label differs from the geographical indications protected designation of ...
under the name "Salată tradițională cu icre de carp". The roe of this product is for over 50% carp based. A dip, or (mashed beans), prepared with mashed beans, sunflower oil, garlic and chopped onions, is sometimes called (beans roe).

References

{{Cuisine of Romania Turkish cuisine Cypriot cuisine Greek cuisine Israeli cuisine Dips (food) Meze Romanian cuisine Bulgarian cuisine Roe dishes Cod dishes

Etymology

See also

References