Caviar Masaga - what is it?

All lovers of sushi are probably familiar with tobiko - soft, tiny eggs of bright color, which grate pleasantly on teeth. This caviar, extracted from flying fish, is often served as an independent dish, and also in the form of sashimi or as an ingredient of rolls. However, a product that is often called "tobiko" in the menu of inexpensive sushi bars or in supermarkets is likely to be caviar or masago caviar. As a rule, people who are not related to sushi cooking and who are not fans of Japanese cuisine can not distinguish one caviar from another, tobiko from masago.

Masago - what is it?

In simple terms, it is the caviar of one of the varieties of capelin, the fish of the chaplain. In large numbers, this fish lives near the coast of Iceland, however, it also occurs in other shores, in the Arctic and Atlantic waters.

Caviar caviar is salted and processed in the same way as traditional tobiko, but it is cheaper. If you live in a big city, you can buy it in large stores, in seafood departments, along with other ingredients for sushi.

Caviar is very nutritious and has a high content of vitamins, protein and a large number of omega-3 and omega-6 (fatty acids). Despite the fact that it contains a large amount of cholesterol, a small portion of this product will only benefit the body.

Tobiko and Masagot - what it is, and how to distinguish them from each other

So, now we know that the exotic names hide the eggs of small ocean fish. After receiving the answer to the question: "Masago - what is this?", According to the law of logic, the problem arises: "How to distinguish between Masago and Tobiko?". In fact, it's not so difficult.

Caviar of flying fish (tobiko) in its natural form differs from the widely known bright orange product, it is almost colorless, has a soft sweetish taste and, what is characteristic, crunches on the teeth when eaten. In turn, Masago (caviar caviar) has a light beige shade and very small, non-crunchy eggs. Due to the dull colors, both varieties almost always go on sale in different colors, most often in red or black. As a rule, natural ingredients are used as dyes - cuttlefish ink (to achieve black color), ginger juice (for a brighter orange shade) and so on. Separately it is worth mentioning the product, known in Japanese shops and restaurants as wasabiko - is the same caviar, but painted with the help of wasabi powder in green. This treatment is subjected to both tobiko and masago. Which, specifically, the type of caviar was painted with wasabi, can be understood both in appearance (size of eggs), and in the presence or absence of a characteristic crunch during eating. It goes without saying that caviar with a wasabi will have a very piquant taste.

Dishes from masago and tobiko

Both varieties of caviar are used for making sushi-gunkan as an independent filling, as well as for decorating rolls. Due to the finer texture, Masago is also used for many dishes of Asian cuisine - omelettes, salads, sauces and so on, while the use of tobiko is somewhat limited. Often these products are combined in different dishes, as their structure and taste perfectly complement each other.

One of the most famous recipes is spicy sauce Masago, which in different restaurants are cooked in different ways. For its preparation at home, the following products are used: 1/4 teaspoon of Japanese mayonnaise ("Kupi"), 1 teaspoon of caviar, 1/2 teaspoon of kimchi sauce or shirucha.

Summarizing the above information, which serves as an answer to the question: "Masago - what is it?", It will be superfluous to specify - this is the capelin caviar, traditionally used in Japanese cuisine.