The mysterious orange balls on sushi do have a name:
Tobiko, masago, ikura, and caviar are four different types of fish roe, or the eggs from fish. Each one comes from a different species of fish and carries slightly different characteristics and nutrients.
Those small fish eggs of many colors all come from the same fish — the flying fish. The roe is actually bright red in its natural color, but other ingredients are used to produce the many different colors you'll see atop maki sushi rolls.
Specifically, it is flying fish roe, and tobiko is the Japanese word for it. Culinarily it is mostly used in sushi dishes, and the eggs are on the larger side - about 0.5 to 0.8mm, and reddish-orange in colour with a salty and sometimes smokey flavour that is crunchy and pops in the mouth.
If you're a fan of sushi, you've almost certainly come across flying fish eggs — also known as tobiko. They're the orange roe commonly used as a garnish on maki sushi (AKA sushi rolls), offering a vivid visual alongside the green and white of seaweed and rice.
Tobiko is especially crunchy and is often used to add some texture to sushi, making for a very satisfying bite! They're sometimes a garnish on top of sushi rolls or on the outside of tobiko rolls. Tobiko is the most common type of fish egg used in sushi.
Also called masago, smelt roe are the eggs from the type of smelt fish called a capelin. The most likely place to encounter them is at a sushi restaurant where they're commonly used inside rolls or on top as a tasty garnish.
These fish contain significantly less mercury, and include shrimp, salmon, unagi, tobiko, masago, octopus, and many others. Limiting yourself to such fish, a pregnant woman should be able to safely consume up to two six-ounce servings of fish every week.
Tobiko caviar is made from special flying fish roe, and it's a great substitute for more expensive caviar. Although tobiko has a slightly different taste than sturgeon caviar, it's known as Japanese caviar. Usually, it is very small (1mm in diameter), and is rich in protein, omega 3- fatty acids, and other nutrients.
Or maybe you've seen a bright yellow center in a sushi roll and weren't sure what it was or what it's called. Put most simply, oshinko (meaning, "fragrant dish" in Japanese) is a variety of Japanese pickled vegetable, tsukemono.
Most fish release thousands of eggs, scattering them in the water where the male fish fertilize them. The eggs develop and hatch into larvae (baby fish) without any help from the parents. Most larvae are eaten by other creatures, but a few survive to become adults.
Fish eggs, also known as roe, are an incredible food rich in micronutrients and Omega-3 fatty acids. And unlike fermented cod liver oil (the other fish-derived food so nutritious it counts as a supplement), they're actually tasty, either plain or as an ingredient in all kinds of recipes.
Tobiko is packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and several vitamins and minerals. It is healthy for the body when eaten in moderation and in small servings. It is great for your heart and liver health.
Tobiko, short for tobi-uo-no-ko (飛魚の子, “children of flying fish”), has a bright orange-red exterior, salty-sweet flavor, and unmistakable crunchy texture. These tiny raw fish eggs are often used as a garnish, such as California rolls. They are also delicious on their own.
Tobiko has a taste that will intrigue your taste buds. It has a smoky and salty flavor. But, unlike other types of roe, it has a slight sweetness.
Is Tobiko Raw? Yes, tobiko is the flavored and colored raw eggs of the flying fish.
While these non-sturgeon roes are often processed and labeled similarly to true caviar, they remain a much more affordable product because of their greater abundance and diversity in the wild, as well as their quicker development and lower cost when being farmed.
Producing tobiko is similar to other styles of roe — harvesters collect the unfertilized eggs from the female fish, remove any impurities that are present and salt cure the roe to imbue a smoky flavor while preserving them for longer shelf life.
The eggs are immediately processed with spices, flavorings, and added coloring to bring out principally 4 brightly colored finished products that are quickly frozen in tubs. These four tobiko colors are black, red, green, and orange.
Sushi that uses cooked fish and shellfish, such as crab, cooked prawns and cooked eel, is fine to eat while you're pregnant. Vegetarian sushi, which uses ingredients such as cooked egg or avocado, is also safe for you to eat when you're pregnant.
In addition to concerns about bacteria and parasites, some types of fish used in sushi—such as bigeye and yellowfin tuna, swordfish and marlin—contain high levels of mercury, a toxic metal that can cause serious birth defects, including brain damage, blindness and deafness.
The type of fish and its availability:
Caviar, to begin with, is always considered a luxury good, and the scarcity of the production factory that processes the fish also contributes towards the same. This contributes to the fish's purity and rarity, making it expensive in the market.
Sushi is a collection of rice, vegetables, and cooked or raw fish that can pack a nutritious punch. Research suggests that eating sushi may boost everything from gut health to thyroid and immune function.
The mysterious orange balls on sushi do have a name: tobiko. This translates to flying fish roe, which is used in Japanese cuisine and commonly in sushi. Tobiko are small fish eggs in comparison to salmon roe, for example. But Tobiko is larger than masago, which is capelin roe.