bottarga

[ boh-tahr-guh ]

noun

1. the roe sac of a fish, especially the gray mullet, prepared by salting, pressing, and drying, and served in various ways, including as a grated garnish, on its own with seasoning, or with vegetables.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bottarga¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Italian, earlier buttarga, from Arabic buṭarkha, from Medieval Greek abgotáricha, plural variant of ōiotárichon ( avgolemono ( def ) ), from Greek ōio-, combining form of ōión “egg” ( oo- ( def ) ) + tárīchos “dried fish, preserved meat”

Example Sentences

On the other hand, the traditional Italian cuisine is all about the regional delicacies and seasonal products found around Italy, like prosciutto, aceto balsamico, bottarga and the like.

From Salon

While some people may pooh-pooh such products, items such as bottarga or even baccala are genuinely cherished in fine dining and Italian-American circles, respectively.

From Salon

It was interesting to see preserved/salted/smoked fish products featured in such a way, especially including items like bottarga and/or baccala.

From Salon

Top with bottarga — or even parmesan — to add a bit of umami.

From Salon

Other wonderful options involve shaved bottarga, calamari, catfish, caviar, halibut, mahi mahi, monkfish, octopus, salmon, sea bass, swordfish, uni and — of course! — tuna.

From Salon