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May 7, 2026

Mentaiko and tarako fans?

Do you and your tribe like mentaiko and/or tarako? How do you like to serve them?

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TonetoEdo

TonetoEdo

Living between the Tone and Edo Rivers in Higashi Katsushika area of Chiba Prefecture.

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  • BigfamJapan

    BigfamJapan

    on May 8

    I have one child who is particularly into mentaiko, at one point he even took it on toast, but he's the one whose abroad at the moment so we actually haven't had it in a long time! Boring but most of the time it was just used on pizza or pasta!

    1
  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on May 8

    I might be in the minority here, but I don't like it :( I hate how it sneaks into pastas and as pizza toppings, sometimes kinda masquerading itself as a reddish/orange sauce. Sneaky!

    1
  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on May 8

    Maybe I should add a return question, what are your favorite ways of using it as an ingredient/condiment that would be most palatable?

    1
  • TonetoEdo

    TonetoEdo

    on May 8

    @genkidesu Sometimes I pick up supermarket bento with mentaiko gracing the rice. I'm a wee bit leery if it has been sitting there a while. If I understand correctly, it's salt-cured, not cooked. So it's safe to eat at room temp? Correct me if I'm wrong. I like it for the umami, but I wonder how others use it in dishes.

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