Tobiko 飛子

Tobiko is, as the name says, the roe of the flying fish (tobiuo). In Kyushu the flying fish is called ago and is well known in Japan as the source of the prized ago dashi stock. The eggs are far smaller than ikura, and their greatest charm is the crisp, satisfying pop as you bite. With a faint saltiness and gentle sweetness, the classic way to serve them is as a gunkan-maki paired with the aroma of nori. Their vivid orange is beautiful, and beyond nigiri they make a fine supporting player — scattered all over a chirashi-zushi, for example, to add colour. A similar small roe, masago (the eggs of capelin), is sometimes used as a cheaper substitute for tobiko.

Origin: Shimane, Kyoto, Nagasaki, Miyazaki Season: Early summer to summer