What Is Bottarga And What Does It Taste Like?
Shutterstock By Karen Hart/Updated: Jan. 24, 2022 10:30 pm EST
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. If you’ve never heard of bottarga, you’re not alone. Some people can’t even pronounce it — don’t worry, we had to Google it, too. Bottarga (remember to roll that B into a V) is cured fish roe that is taken from the likes of grey mullet, swordfish, or even bluefin tuna, that is dried into slabs. Sometimes referred to as Mediterranean caviar, it is often considered a delicacy. First used by fishermen in ancient times when waste not, want not was more than just a mantra, bottarga was considered a labor intensive product to create (via Great Italian Chefs).
Fast forward to present day and this staple for the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia, is going mainstream. Bottarga was barely known in the United States a few decades ago, but Mario Batali was one chef who encouraged the masses to grate over their favorite pasta. Per Detroit News, most bottarga we eat in the United States is imported from Pescasarda, Sardinia. In fact Sardinia’s shores are where the first bottarga factory was built. Today, bottarga is enjoyed sprinkled over all things Italian, vegetables, pizzas, salads, and even over your scrambled eggs. But what does this fishy luxury taste like?
What Is Bottarga And What Does It Taste Like?
Shutterstock
By Karen Hart/Updated: Jan. 24, 2022 10:30 pm EST
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. If you’ve never heard of bottarga, you’re not alone. Some people can’t even pronounce it — don’t worry, we had to Google it, too. Bottarga (remember to roll that B into a V) is cured fish roe that is taken from the likes of grey mullet, swordfish, or even bluefin tuna, that is dried into slabs. Sometimes referred to as Mediterranean caviar, it is often considered a delicacy. First used by fishermen in ancient times when waste not, want not was more than just a mantra, bottarga was considered a labor intensive product to create (via Great Italian Chefs).
Fast forward to present day and this staple for the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia, is going mainstream. Bottarga was barely known in the United States a few decades ago, but Mario Batali was one chef who encouraged the masses to grate over their favorite pasta. Per Detroit News, most bottarga we eat in the United States is imported from Pescasarda, Sardinia. In fact Sardinia’s shores are where the first bottarga factory was built. Today, bottarga is enjoyed sprinkled over all things Italian, vegetables, pizzas, salads, and even over your scrambled eggs. But what does this fishy luxury taste like?
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Fast forward to present day and this staple for the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia, is going mainstream. Bottarga was barely known in the United States a few decades ago, but Mario Batali was one chef who encouraged the masses to grate over their favorite pasta. Per Detroit News, most bottarga we eat in the United States is imported from Pescasarda, Sardinia. In fact Sardinia’s shores are where the first bottarga factory was built. Today, bottarga is enjoyed sprinkled over all things Italian, vegetables, pizzas, salads, and even over your scrambled eggs. But what does this fishy luxury taste like?
Bottarga is very similar to Parmesan
When you are ready to use your bottarga, you will notice that is wrapped in a thin papery skin called the pellicle. You will want to make sure you peel that back before you start grating. Don’t worry if you aren’t able to use it up quickly — a fun fact about bottarga is it’s “rot resistant.” According to Macchi Inc.’s blog, its shelf life is about five years when kept wrapped up tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator.
