Even if the name is unfamiliar to you, you’re probably already well acquainted with masago. This popular seafood ingredient is most often used in Japanese dishes but can be used to add a pop of color, zing, and texture to just about any dish you can dream up. The best part is that it’s getting easier to find and at a great price. So, what is masago?
What is in masago sushi?
If you love sushi, you’ve probably already eaten your fair share of masago, whether you’ve realized it or not. These teeny tiny fish eggs are often piled atop or pressed into the outsides of sushi rolls, providing both a pop of texture and a pop of color. Naturally pale yellow but often dyed bright orange, red, black, or even green to add visual interest to a dish, these bright little eggs add vibrancy, color, and a delightful little crunchy burst to each bite of your dish.
Is masago actually fish eggs?
Masago roe are the eggs of the capelin fish- a small fish that lives in the northern waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans and is related to the smelt fish. While the capelin fish itself is not typically eaten by humans, it is often farmed for its roe, which is prized for its flavor and texture, and it has considerably low mercury levels.
What does masago taste like?
Milder than many other types of roe, masago tastes pleasantly of the sea, with a sweet, salty brininess and a delectable crunch. Because of each egg’s tiny size, the bite of masago is more akin to a crisp, tiny seed than the wetter, rounder, more boba-type soft bite of larger eggs like salmon roe. While masago is often the most frugal roe option, many people find its tiny, crisp, delicate crunch more desirable than that of its larger, more robust counterparts.
How is masago eaten?
While most commonly associated with sushi, masago brings its delightfully mild flavor and refreshing crunch to a number of Japanese seafood dishes, sauces, and noodle bowls. One particularly popular dish combines masago with dashi, mayonnaise, and milk in a sauce that is poured over noodles. Masago is also incredible in poke bowls for a more Hawaiian-themed dish.
Of course, though, sushi is masago’s bread and butter. At many sushi restaurants, one can even order rolls that specifically highlight the popular roe, featuring it as the star itself combined with nothing more than nori and rice. Otherwise, masago is used as a colorful topping or extra layer on the outside of many popular rolls, like the California roll.
What is masago vs caviar?
While both masago and caviar are fish roe, they’re quite different in everything from origin to culinary application to size to texture to flavor. Caviar can come from a variety of fish, but most popularly from sturgeon. While enjoyed in many different applications, sturgeon caviar is traditionally served chilled atop crackers or blinis and is far more expensive than masago. Caviar and masago are very seldom confused as they are served in such different ways.
Tobiko, on the other hand, is another type of fish roe that is more commonly confused with masago. In fact, masago is often substituted for its more expensive counterpart, Tobiko. Tobiko is the roe from Flying Fish and is arguably slightly superior in both flavor and texture with its larger pearls and sweeter flavor.
Health benefits of masago
Masago not only adds delightfully colorful, pleasantly crunchy flare to your favorite Japanese dishes, but all those tiny eggs are also packed to the brim with health benefits. Masago is a tremendous source of Omega-3, which helps to regulate blood flow, calm inflammation, and reduce the risk of certain heart conditions. These little cuties are also full of protein, providing as much as an entire egg in one serving, and contain almost half of the daily B12 requirement.
Where to buy masago
Due to its tremendous popularity, masago has become increasingly available to the American market in recent years. While not quite as commonly found in regular grocery stores, masago can be found in Japanese markets and specialty seafood stores and butcheries. Conveniently, masago freezes extremely well, so it’s also quite easy to find it online.
If you aren’t ready to use your masago when it arrives, you can store it safely in the freezer for up to six months or in the refrigerator for three to four days. If you do manage to find fresh masago at a local market, simply use what you need and freeze the rest.
