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

On the other hand, the traditional Italian cuisine is all about the regional delicacies and seasonal products found around Italy, like prosciutto, aceto balsamico, bottarga and the like.

From Salon • May 26, 2023

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

The kitchen avoids most of what might be considered luxury ingredients, though bottarga, the salt-cured mullet roe, is a year-round staple.

From New York Times • Jul. 17, 2018

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

See her cacio e pepe, Rome’s classic cheese and pepper pasta, dressed up with oysters and bottarga and bright with lemon.

From Washington Post