bottarga

American  

[boh-tahr-guh] / boʊˈtɑr gə /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of bottarga

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bottarga

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 ● Dec. 24, 2022

The libations emphasize high-end brands, and the food knows no budget with oysters, black truffle tarts, shrimp with bottarga, and caviar with tater tots.

From New York Times ● Feb. 8, 2022

A wintry salad of radicchio and celery is topped with razor-thin slices of salty cured red-mullet roe, also known as bottarga.

From The New Yorker ● Feb. 8, 2019

Veal tartare, pink and lush, strikes a dramatic pose with filings of bright orange bottarga and thin olive crackers dividing the dish.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 8, 2016

At the top of his list is Melissa Perello’s Octavia, which is making its mark with dishes like chilled squid-ink noodles with bottarga, lemon oil, and fennel.

From Architectural Digest ● Sep. 15, 2015