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”