taramasalata

[ tahr-uh-muh-suh-lah-tuh; Greek tah-rah-mah-sah-lah-tah ]

noun

1. a Greek dip or paste of smoked carp roe combined with milk, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, and olive oil.

taramasalata

/ ˌtærəməsəˈlɑːtə /

noun

1. a creamy pale pink pâté, made from the roe of grey mullet or smoked cod and served as an hors d'oeuvre

Word History and Origins

Origin of taramasalata¹

First recorded in 1910–15; from Modern Greek taramosaláta, equivalent to taramá(s) “preserved roe,” from Turkish tarama “roe, soft roe, red caviar” + -o- ( def ) + saláta, from Venetian Italian salata salad ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of taramasalata¹

C20: from Modern Greek, from tarama cod's roe

Example Sentences

If there’s a lighter taramasalata out there, I have yet to taste it.

From Washington Post

A deliciously demented Dungeness crab roll piles crab, salmon gravlax and taramasalata on a seed-crusted torpedo roll seasoned like an everything bagel.

From Seattle Times

And that jar of pinkish taramasalata from the grocery store has been my obsession of late — probably because I eat so much of it.

From New York Times

More likely, you’ve possibly seen taramasalata in jars in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, manufactured by a huge commercial Greek food company called Krinos.

From New York Times

But in making taramasalata from scratch, there are a couple of challenges: Cod roe itself is a seasonal item and difficult to find.

From New York Times