Pollock roe

Pollock roe, alsopollack roe(also known asmyeongnanandtarako) is theroeofAlaska pollock(Gadus chalcogrammus) which, despite its name, is a species ofcod. Salted pollock roe is a popular culinary ingredient inKorean,Japanese, andRussian cuisines.
The purely Korean name forpollock,myeongtaecan be written withHanja明太(명태), which can be read asmentaiin Japanese. But while the Japanese borrowed this name from Korean and called itmentaiko,the term does not retain the originally meaning of plain raw roe, but specifically refers the chili pepper-added cured roe, while salt-cured only types are calledtarako.
As aforementioned, Alaska pollock in Korean ismyeongtae(Korean:명태;Hanja:明太), hence pollock roe ismyeongnan(명란;明卵), a contracted form of thecompoundwith +ranor +nan(란,卵) meaning "egg (roe)".
The salted roe dish is calledmyeongnan-jeot(명란젓), being considered a type ofjeot(젓)  orjeotgal, which is a category of salted seafood.
In Japanese, (salted) pollock roe is calledtarako(鱈子),though it literally means 'cod roe',while true cod roe is distinguished by calling ithontarako.The pollock roe, also known asmomijiko, are usually salted and dyed red.
Pollock roe cured withred chili pepperare 明太子(mentaiko);to put it another way,mentaikorefers to chili-laced versions oftarako, generally speaking,even if not qualified askarashi-mentaikowith the prefix meaning 'chili'.
In Russian, pollock roe is calledikra mintaya(икра минтая). The word is also used to referred to the salted roe. The Russian wordikra(икра) means "roe" andmintaya(минтая) is the singular genitive form ofmintay(минтай), which means Alaska pollock. The word is also derived from its Korean cognate,myeongtae(명태).
Koreans have been enjoyingpollockroe since theJoseonera (1392–1897). One of the earliest mentions are fromDiary of the Royal Secretariat, where a 1652 entry stated: "The management administration should be strictly interrogated for bringing inpollockroe instead ofcodroe."Recipe for saltedpollockroe is found in a 19th-century cookbook,Siuijeonseo.
A 1696 Japanese book records the use of Alaska pollock's roe inHokurikudō.
The dishmentaikooriginates from Korea, but after more than 100 years of modification, most of thepollackroe consumed in Japan is Japanese mentaiko.Toshio Kawahara(川原 俊夫,Kawahara Toshio), who was born in the city ofBusan, Korea during theJapanese occupation, founded the oldest mentaiko company in Japan called "Aji no Mentaiko Fukuya" (ja:ふくや) afterWorld War II. He made several modifications to myeongnan-jeotto adapt to Japanese tastes and introduced it to Japan as "Karashi mentaiko" (ja:辛子明太子), its popular name is "mentaiko". The milder, less spicy version is calledtarako(鱈子) in Japan.
Traditionally,myeongnan-jeotwas made beforedongji(winter solstice). Intact skeins ofAlaska pollockroe are washed carefully withsalt water, thensaltedin asokuri(bamboo basket). The ratio of salt to roe ranges from less than 5:100 to more than 15:100. After 2–3 days, salted and drained roe is marinated for at least a day with finegochutgaru(chilli powder) and finely mincedgarlic.myeongnan-jeotis usually served with sesame seeds or some drops ofsesame oil.
Myeongnan-jeot, whether raw, dried, and/or cooked, is a commonbanchan(side dish) andanju(food served with alcoholic beverages). It is also used in a variety of dishes, such asgyeran-jjim(steamed egg),bokkeum-bap(fried rice), and recently inKorean-style Italianpasta dishes.
Myeongnan-jeotis a specialty ofSouth Hamgyong ProvinceofNorth Korea, andGangwon ProvinceandBusanofSouth Korea.
Mentaiko, adapted from Koreanmyeongnan-jeot,hence the name mentai (derived from the Koreanmyeongtae, 명태, 明太, meaning pollack) + ko (Korean 알, 子, meaning baby/roe), is common in Japan. It is made in a variety of flavors and colors and is available at airports and main train stations. It is usually eaten withonigiri, but is also enjoyed by itself withsake. A common variety is spicy mentaiko(辛子明太子,karashi mentaiko). It is a product of theHakatawardofFukuoka City. Milder version is calledtarako(鱈子),
Recently in Japan, mentaiko pasta has become common. Mentaiko is mixed with butter or mayonnaise and used as a sauce for spaghetti.  Thin strips ofnori(海苔) andshisoleaves are often sprinkled on top.
Mentaiko was nominated as Japan's number one side dish in the Japanese weekly magazine,Shūkan Bunshun.
Tarako is served in a number of ways: plain (usually for breakfast),as a filling foronigiri, and as apastasauce (usually withnori). Traditionally, tarako was dyed bright red, but recent concerns about the safety offood coloringhave all but eliminated that custom.InKyūshū, tarako is commonly served with redchili pepperflakes.
InRussia, pollock roe is consumed as a sandwich spread. The product, resembling liquid paste due to the small size of eggs and oil added, is sold ascanned food.
As mentioned above, in Russian, the word for pollock roe is the same as for thecaviar: "ikra". The same goes to a dish, known to the French as "caviar d'aubergine": "кабачковая икра", although it's a spread made of eggplants.
To make the pollock roe taste in a caviar-like way, one should make abutterbrotfirst e.g. to applybutterto the bread before adding the canned pollock roe. This will smoothen the excessive saltiness of the canned roe.