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

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 • May 12, 2023

Begin with a smear of pâte di bottarga, fish roe whipped with anchovies and tuna, then sip broth fortified by pasta and potatoes.

From Washington Post • Jan. 21, 2021

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

Salty goldenrod bottarga was shaved over everything, even the white rim of the plate.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2017

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