What is tobiko caviar in rolls? Masago caviar: what it is, where it is used, description and nutritional value. Japanese flying fish

Flying fish sounds strange and almost paradoxical, doesn't it? But in fact, such fish exist, and they chose the warm coastal zones of the Pacific and Indian oceans as their habitat. Of course, they do not fly like birds, but they are able to soar over the surface of the water thanks to their strong caudal fin. They are able to cover distances of up to 300-400 meters, jumping out of the water and moving like a pancake pebble, constantly pushing off and taking off again. The fish themselves look quite cute, have an elongated body and long pelvic fins-wings. The Japanese, who are so fond of the tender meat and caviar of flying fish, are actively involved in their extraction. The latter is an integral part of sushi and rolls, which are gaining popularity around the world.

Caviar production

During the next spawning, representatives of the Flying Fish family spawn. In appearance it cannot be confused with anything: it is bright orange, sometimes red, very small, no more than 0.8 mm in diameter, and sticks to everything that is afloat, be it algae or any other object. Due to the fact that the population of these fish is huge off the coast of Japan, its production is of great commercial importance there. Flying fish caviar, along with its meat, is beloved by the Japanese, and they can eat it in any form. Typically, after harvesting, the fish is soaked in a special sauce to give it a smoky and slightly salty flavor.

Flying fish caviar enters the Russian market in canned or frozen form, but this does not in any way affect its taste. In fact, not everyone will like this product; it is much drier than salmon caviar, has a dense structure and crunches on the teeth. For variety, it is tinted with natural dyes, for example, to create bright green flying fish caviar, it is marinated in a wasabi solution, and black caviar is obtained using cuttlefish ink. The natural orange color can be turned into bright red using ginger pickle. And yet, for Russians it remains a delicacy due to its high price.

Use in cooking

As mentioned earlier, this type of caviar is used in the preparation of sushi and rolls, but the Japanese do not limit themselves to this. It is also widely used to decorate dishes, which is not surprising if you remember its color. Let's say you decided to make rolls at home, but when you saw the price tag in the store, you immediately asked yourself the question: what to replace it with? Flying fish caviar has practically no distinct taste, its texture is most important, so it can easily be replaced with cheaper capelin caviar, but choose colored one, it is more reminiscent of tobiko.

Beneficial features

Almost all seafood has a unique set of microelements necessary for the human body. Likewise, flying fish caviar is a source of easily digestible proteins, fats and vitamins of the entire B group, and also contains silicon, iodine, calcium and phosphorus. It is recommended to eat it for pregnant women, people with exhaustion and anemia. Thus, flying fish caviar, tobiko, is not only tasty and beautiful, but also healthy, but it should be avoided by allergy sufferers.

For those who have never visited a sushi bar, it will be useful to know what Masago caviar is. Its nutritional value may be a revelation to many. What it is made from, what else it is compared to and how it is used in food - all this is worth getting to know in more detail.

Capelin caviar - Masago

Multi-colored grains of capelin caviar in Japanese rolls are called Masago. A dish is rolled in them or used as a decorating topping.

If in Japan such caviar is considered a delicacy and is often served as a separate dish, then in Russian cuisine it is presented in a smoked version as an addition to mashed potatoes or a sandwich.

Another common name for capelin is fish chaplain(this is how its name is literally translated in English). It mainly lives off the coast of Iceland, in the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic waters.

In the waters of Japan, this small fish is distinguished by a special external feature - its body is slightly elongated and flattened. Exactly Masago is made from the caviar of this type of capelin- by marinating and soaking in special sauces.

Nutritional value and price of Masago

The benefits of seafood for human health have long been proven. Various fish delicacies deliver the body important substances and vitamins necessary to maintain healthy functioning.

Masago - like any fish caviar - is a source of essential and rare microelements. Its distinctive property is the specificity of protein compounds. This special selection of protein structures is more advantageous and quickly absorbed by the human body (95% of 100% of incoming proteins).

This composition helps maintain human activity throughout the day and improve the condition of the body as a whole.

Fish oil from capelin and its caviar is rich in saturated fatty acids:

Omega-3;
Omega-6.

There is a large list of microelements with which this caviar is rich:

Phosphorus;
Zinc;
Magnesium;
Calcium;
Potassium;
Copper.

This entire list of important substances and vitamins provides invaluable benefits to the body, they are:

Have a beneficial effect on metabolic processes and hematopoiesis;
They have preventive benefits on the activity of the thyroid gland and heart function;
Promotes active brain function;
Prevents premature aging;
Improve memory;
Participate in regulating the activity of hormonal systems.

The only contraindication for the use of this product is a predisposition to allergic reactions.

The cost of Masago caviar is significantly lower than that of salmon caviar and ranges from 350 to 550 rubles per package weighing 500 grams.

What explains the variety of colors?

On supermarket shelves and in sushi restaurants, Masago is presented in different color shades. Many claim that this is a marketing ploy carried out by adding artificial colors that are harmful to health.

Yes, the caviar itself, in its natural pristine state, has a light beige tint, almost transparent. The dull appearance of the delicacy is removed using food coloring technologies. But not artificial, but natural or synthetic dyes with a natural base.

In addition to the widespread colors - orange and black - the caviar in green and red shades makes sushi and rolls more appetizing.

Red Masago. It is made by adding natural dye (in very rare cases, synthetic) - juice: beetroot, currant or pomegranate;
Orange Masago. The most commonly consumed caviar. A light orange tint makes the dish appetizing. This color is achieved by lightly coloring with a natural-based synthetic food coloring, and sometimes with ginger juice;
Green Masago. High-quality and responsible manufacturers use the extracts and juices of Japanese horseradish - wassabi, which has a light green natural color, as the basis for the coloring element. This root also adds a special pungent flavor to the eggs;
Black Masago. The dye for it is made from the ink of cuttlefish mollusks. By the way, the same ink is added in the production of some types of Japanese noodles.

Masago and Tobiko caviar: the difference

Despite the difference in taste, many compare Masago caviar to Tobiko. For a more knowledgeable person, their difference is due to the difference in manufacturing.

In fact, Tobiko is also caviar. Just not capelin, but flying fish. Outwardly, these delicacies are quite similar if you look at them in their original form, without coloring.

Tobiko's eggs are almost colorless, while Masago's grains have a more peachy tint.

The differences between these products are much more noticeable in terms of taste:

Capelin caviar is soft in taste, and the eggs are smaller in size;
Flying fish caviar is crunchy and has a sweetish note.

Tobiko is predominantly found in orange. But just like Masago, flying fish caviar is colored in green, red and black.

Due to its pronounced specificity of taste, Tobiko is used only in Japanese cuisine. The secret of its preparation was invented 500 years ago and to this day is passed down only from generation to generation while maintaining the secret of the technology.

Tobiko is marinated in a special sauce, according to ancient, undisclosed recipes.

How are Masago and Tobiko used in dishes?

Being a purely Japanese unique invention, these products are primarily used in the national cuisine of the land of the rising sun. And not only when making sushi and rolls. The resourceful Japanese add it to sauces and most local dishes.

And the most important delicacy option for consumption is serving such caviar in a single-component state - without side dishes and other products, as an independent tasty dish.

Many Asian kitchen masters, knowing about the invaluable contribution of such caviar to human health, use Masago in their dishes - add it to salads, sauces, and omelettes.

In Russia, it is more common to consume capelin caviar in canned form as a smoked, gourmet addition to a side dish.

The wide availability of Japanese cuisine recipes allows the average person to try homemade sushi prepared from the appropriate ingredients, which are available in any supermarket. Of course, this will not make the product taste identical to real rolls or sushi, but added caviar - Masago or Tobiko - will definitely add a specific Japanese delicacy to the resulting dish.

Video about colored capelin caviar

In this video, sushi master Mark Olkhov will show how Masago is used to prepare uramaki rolls (with rice facing out):

Sushi and rolls have gained immense popularity among lovers of Japanese cuisine in Europe. An important component of these dishes is the roe of flying sea fish called tobiko. The article will discuss the features of the product: what it is, benefits and harms, use in cooking and much more.

Character traits

Amazing fish got their name due to their unique ability to unexpectedly jump out of the water and soar over its surface at a fairly decent speed - up to 50 km/h. The distance that some species cover in flight reaches 500 meters.

Scientists suggest that nature endowed these fish with the ability to glide in the air to escape predators who wanted to feast on them.

Flyers live in the seas of the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They can also be found off the coast of Norway. In total, the family includes more than 70 species.

Characteristic features of flying fish: light bellies, dark backs, powerful, brightly colored fins-wings, with which you can flutter. The working fins are the pectoral and, less commonly, the dorsal and anal fins.

Due to their unusual appearance, the fish received characteristic names. The most interesting specimens:

fork-tailed longwing;
swift-tailed pharaoh;
Eurasian shortwing;
common swallowtail;
white-spotted danikht;
sailor fish;
fish - bat.

Flyers, representatives of the garfish order, are united by tender-tasting meat and caviar, which has become an integral ingredient in traditional Japanese cuisine.

What does it look like?

In nature, tobiko, like many types of caviar, is absolutely transparent. This helps it become invisible in the environment: among the stems and leaves of plants, algae, and tree branches accidentally falling into the water.

Manufacturers, taking advantage of this property, paint tobiko in various colors with natural dyes:

yellow, orange and rich red colors are achieved with ginger;
green is obtained by marinating caviar in wasabi;
Tobiko turns purple and black from cuttlefish ink.

Bright shades give caviar a more appetizing look and a new taste.

Taste

The natural taste of caviar is typical “sea”, salty. At first glance, crumbly eggs seem dry. But it’s worth trying, and the caviar, pleasantly crunchy on the teeth, leaves a delicate sweetish taste in the mouth.

Marinating in various sauces not only enhances the taste of tobiko, but also makes it more piquant, giving it a smoky hue. This is why lovers of delicacies value caviar.

How to choose?

Tobiko is sold frozen or canned.

Frozen caviar retains its beneficial properties and taste, provided that the rules for freezing and transporting products are followed. Scientists recommend buying caviar that has been IQF-frozen. This means that the caviar was subjected to shock freezing at a temperature of -18°C and retained all useful macro- and microelements and vitamins. It is valuable that during IQF thawing the caviar will not be dehydrated, which happens with other methods.

The shelf life of frozen tobiko is 12 months. It is not recommended to re-freeze caviar: valuable nutritional qualities may be lost. Therefore, when purchasing a delicacy, pay attention to its appearance and smell:

the product should not be weathered or have a white or grayish coating;
the packaging must be sealed and transparent so that the contents are visible;
Tobiko should not have any unpleasant foreign odors;
the eggs should not look bruised or limp;
After defrosting, good caviar will remain crumbly.

When buying frozen caviar, you need to process it in a special sauce before using it. If this is difficult, purchase a canned product.

With canned caviar everything is much simpler.

Be sure to read on the packaging who the manufacturer of the product is. The main producers of tobiko are Japan and China. Japanese canned goods are quite expensive and are much less common on our market than Chinese ones.
A popular European manufacturer is the Santa Bremor company, a joint Belarusian-German venture.
Look carefully at the date of manufacture. Caviar will be stored for 2 years from the date of production.
Canned caviar can be eaten immediately.

Application

In Japan, tobiko is added to soups and salads, it is used to decorate traditional cuisine, and is used in the preparation of rolls, sushi, and sauces.

It is impossible to imagine traditional California rolls without generous decoration of the famous flyers with orange caviar. The shine of small eggs pleases the eye and stimulates the appetite. The California rolls look especially impressive, served on a black porcelain plate along with peach slices of pickled ginger, a slice of sunny lemon and a small sprig of green dill, traditional wasabi and soy sauce.

Tobiko goes well with rice, pasta, cucumber, avocado and any seafood. Caviar is the main component of not only Japanese, but also European delicacies, for example:

roll "Green Dragon";
roll “Tuna with cucumber”;
cream hand roll with tuna;
poke with trout and green tobiko;
kimchi cabbage with shrimp and tobiko sauce;
salmon in cream sauce with tobiko.

Beneficial features

Tobiko is not only tasty, but also healthy. Caviar contains a huge amount of substances necessary for the functioning of the human body. He is not able to synthesize many of them on his own, and receives them only with food.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids provide the body with energy. The lack of the required amount of Omega fatty acids negatively affects the process of cell regeneration and protection against cancer.
Vitamin A helps maintain immunity, protects liver cells, maintains visual acuity, and prevents dangerous eye disease - night blindness.
B vitamins necessary for almost all processes occurring in our body. They participate in water-salt and carbohydrate metabolism, regulate the activity of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and participate in the formation of hemoglobin.
Vitamin C strengthens the immune system, participates in the synthesis of collagen and protein, and is responsible for the working condition of bones, ligaments, and cartilage.
Vitamin E Helps absorb vitamin A, rejuvenates the body, gives it energy.
Vitamin K normalizes metabolism in ligaments, musculoskeletal tissue, is responsible for the process of blood clotting and wound healing, helps to absorb calcium in the body.
Vitamin PP has a positive effect on blood circulation and helps strengthen the cardiovascular system.

Macro- and microelements:

selenium– a powerful antioxidant that fights the aging process;
calcium- an important building material for the body, responsible for the skeletal system;
potassium provides nutrition to the heart muscle;
phosphorus has an important influence on the acid-base balance, without it full-fledged mental and physical activity of a person is impossible;
sodium participates in acid-base balance and water-salt metabolism, removes excess potassium from the body, which is important for the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system;
magnesium strengthens the nervous system, stimulates the gastrointestinal tract;
iron is part of vital proteins, including hemoglobin, which saturates the blood with oxygen, and participates in metabolic processes.

Caviar brings maximum benefits to adults and children with poor health, anemia, and people with poor eyesight.

The calorie content of the product is low - 92 kcal per 100 g, caviar can be considered a dietary product:

The delicacy contains the most protein - 13.0 g;
carbohydrates account for 10.0 g;
fat is 3.1 g.

Possible harm

Like any seafood, tobiko is a strong allergen. It is contraindicated for people suffering from this disease.
It is not recommended to consume flying fish caviar for people with high blood pressure and those suffering from urolithiasis.

What to replace it with?

If buying flying fish caviar is problematic, but you really want to make rolls, Lovers of this delicacy offer several replacement options:

use tuna shavings or sesame seeds to sprinkle the rolls;
purchase pollock or cod caviar for this purpose.

Professional chefs say that sesame seeds will significantly change the taste of the dish, and pollock and cod roe are too salty, have a bitter taste and can ruin the taste of the rolls.

According to the advice of masters of oriental delicacies, the best substitute for tobiko is capelin caviar, which is called masago. It comes in different colors. The most suitable red. It has a saltier taste, and the eggs are very similar in appearance to tobiko. Sometimes only big gourmets can tell the difference between tobiko and masago.

This caviar is no less healthy than tobiko. It contains iodine, potassium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, iron and will benefit your health.

You can find out the recipe for making California rolls with tobiko caviar in the following video.

Of the variety of seafood delicacies, flying fish caviar, called Tobiko by the Japanese, stands out as particularly exotic. (from the word "tobi", which means "in the air" in Japanese). This product is extremely popular in East Asian cuisine and is included in many traditional dishes.

Tobiko eggs have a crunchy texture, a pale reddish-orange hue, and are small in size - up to only 0.8 mm. The finished product is obtained according to a special recipe, which was developed in Japan more than 5 centuries ago. The oldest chefs passed it on to their devoted followers, who kept the technology for making unique caviar a strict secret.

History and geography of the product

Marine flying fish, which are prominent representatives of the Sarganidae order, mainly live in tropical waters, where there is enough food and the temperature of the aquatic environment is kept at +20 ° C. These amazing fish are capable of short gliding flights over fairly long distances. They are so fast that they can fly at a speed of 60 km/hour. They have an unusually developed caudal fin, with which they push off from the surface of the water. Rising rapidly, the flying fish soars beautifully over the sea waves for several seconds, its colorful fins shimmering iridescently in the sun.

The habitat of flying fish is not very extensive and it depends on their species. Some fish species are common in the water masses of the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans, others - in the coastal zones of the Red and Mediterranean seas. Flying fish are able to migrate over long distances, so they can be found even off the coasts of Norway and Denmark.

Thanks to their tender meat and excellent taste of caviar, flying fish have become the most valuable catch of industrial fishing. In terms of the volume of exported caviar, Japan undoubtedly holds the lead. This delicious product is also mined in India and China, from where it is exported to all countries of the globe.

Types and varieties

In its natural form, Tobiko caviar has a pale orange color, which makes it not entirely aesthetic in appearance, but the finished product that goes on sale can be of different shades: green, red, bright orange or black. Depending on the color of the eggs, the following types of Tobiko are distinguished:

wasabi (green);
red;
black;
orange.

Manufacturers dye caviar to give it a more attractive presentation, using exclusively natural dyes. By keeping Tobiko in wasabi juice, beet juice, crushed ginger or cuttlefish ink, they get richly colored eggs that are shiny and appetizing.

The product intended for sale may include additional components that enhance the natural taste and specific aroma of caviar. Manufacturers package Tobiko in 32g, 50g, 250g, 500g.

Beneficial features

Tobiko is one of the healthiest seafood delicacies. This caviar contains a rich composition of microelements, vitamins and mineral salts necessary for humans. The vitamins A, D and C it contains prevent the occurrence of some serious diseases, for example, atherosclerosis or myocardial infarction. This product is indispensable for anemia, exhaustion, and frequent physical activity.

A large amount of natural protein combined with low calorie content makes Tobiko caviar an extremely useful and indispensable product for diets and a healthy diet. It has a beneficial effect on the body of older people, children and women during pregnancy, acting as a general tonic.

Taste qualities

Freshly prepared Tobiko has a pleasant salty and slightly smoky taste. Compared to the caviar of other types of commercial fish, Tobiko is somewhat dry and crunches a little on the teeth. Its special advantage is that it tolerates freezing well and, after defrosting, practically does not lose its excellent taste.

To make the product ready, caviar extracted from fish is subjected to pre-treatment using a special sauce. It is this that provides caviar with an unusual flavor and unique aroma - qualities for which it has become famous throughout the world.

Use in cooking

Tobiko caviar can be used for culinary purposes in canned or frozen form. It goes well with vegetables, rice, butter, seafood and avocado.

Tobiko is one of the traditional ingredients of various recipes rolls and sushi. This caviar is used as a ready-made dish, as well as an additional component in the preparation of salads and all kinds of snacks. Multi-colored bright caviar looks impressive on appetizer dishes, so it is often used to decorate various dishes to give them a tempting and attractive look.

Japanese cuisine is becoming increasingly popular in our country. Refined, unusual taste, original appearance of dishes, specific ingredients - these are all its distinctive features.

What is tobiko in rolls? ? Translated from Japanese, this word means “flying fish roe.” The product is traditionally part of Japanese cuisine. It is a valuable delicacy of marine origin. Caviar is cooked in a special sauce, which gives it an unusual taste. The secret of preparing the product has been known to the Japanese for many years, carefully passed on from generation to generation.

Oh tobiko

If salmon caviar is especially popular in Russia, then in Japan it is tobiko. It is obtained from flying fish - an unusual inhabitant of the Indian and Pacific oceans. It has the ability to make short flights over waves, which is why it got its name.

Rolls with tobiko caviar become much tastier. Fresh caviar has a crispy texture and a rich smoked-sea flavor. Its natural color is red-orange. However, it can be artificially colored in other shades, but only with the help of natural ingredients. For example, ginger makes tobiko light orange, squid or cuttlefish ink black. Wasabi colors the caviar green.

Eating tobiko

A distinctive feature of flying fish caviar is the unusually small size of the eggs. Their diameter rarely exceeds 0.8 mm. Outwardly, they resemble a scattering of beads.

Sushi tobiko- tasty dish. But you need to know that caviar requires some preparation before use. The richness of taste and characteristic aroma are achieved by pre-soaking tobiko in a special sauce. The recipe for this unique brine is still kept secret. There are only a few companies in Japan that produce the sauce.

In Russia, flying fish caviar is traditionally used to make rolls, for example, Philadelphia tobiko. In the Land of the Rising Sun it is very popular and is a delicacy. As a result, the Japanese use it in various forms - adding it to all kinds of dishes, fresh and frozen, making canned food, etc.

Utility

Like all other seafood, flying fish caviar is very healthy, as it has a composition rich in vitamins and microelements. It is known that tobiko consists of:

Valuable fats;

Easily digestible protein (about 30 percent of the total composition);

Vitamins A, B, C and D ;

Phosphorus;

Yoda;

Potassium;

Silicon;

Gland;

Zinc;

Calcium.

Despite this composition, California tobiko or any other dish with flying fish roe will be low in calories. The calorie content of the product is only 72 Kcal per 100 g.

Eating food with tobiko is highly recommended not only for healthy people, but especially for those who suffer from various blood diseases, such as anemia. Caviar helps improve the health of pregnant women. A storehouse of vitamins and microelements is exactly what athletes who subject their bodies to significant physical activity on a regular basis need.

What can you cook

Tobiko can be used in almost all Japanese dishes, from rolls to rice. The product goes well with meat, vegetables, eggs. Creamy tobiko cheese adds piquancy and unusual taste to the dish. Rice will become much tastier if you add caviar to it. This is achieved due to the characteristic salty taste of seafood.

You can also prepare the popular spicy tobiko sauce. The orange-colored mixture has a piquant and pungent taste, which is why it is actively used in preparing all kinds of Japanese dishes. The sauce can be added to rolls or on salads.

To prepare it, it will be enough to thoroughly mix the following ingredients:

Soy sauce - 1 tbsp. spoon;

Mayonnaise - 1 tbsp. spoon (preferably Japanese or regular, but not too greasy);

Tobiko - one tablespoon is enough;

Garlic clove;

Chili pepper to taste.

Using flying fish caviar, you can prepare almost any rolls and sushi - for example, California, Philadelphia, tobiko gunkan etc. This is a very important ingredient in such dishes. Without it, it will be difficult to achieve the optimal taste characteristic of sushi.

remember, that tobiko sushi will have the appropriate taste only if the amount of added product is optimal. If you add too much caviar, it will overwhelm the taste of other ingredients. Everything should be in moderation, especially tobiko, which has a pronounced and rich taste.

What is tobiko in rolls? ? This is a delicate, spicy-tasting flying fish roe that makes Japanese dishes much more tasty and memorable. The cost of seafood in our country is approximately on the same level as salmon caviar, and therefore domestic citizens can treat themselves to spicy and healthy tobiko from time to time.