For those who have never looked into sushi bars, it will be useful to know what Masago caviar is. Her the nutritional value may be a revelation to many. What it is made of, what else it is compared with and how it is applicable 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. They roll a dish in them or use them as a decorating topping.
If in Japan such caviar is considered a delicacy and is often served as a separate dish, then for Russian cuisine it is served in a smoked version as an addition to mashed potatoes or a sandwich.
Another common name for capelin is fish chaplain(literally, this is how its name is translated in English). It mainly lives off the coast of Iceland, in the Pacific Ocean and the waters of the Atlantic.
In the waters of Japan, this small fish is distinguished by a special external feature - the body is slightly elongated and flattened. Exactly from caviar of this type of capelin and make Masago- by marinating and soaking in special sauces.
Nutritional value and price of Masago
The health benefits of seafood have long been proven. Variable fish delicacies provide the body with important substances and vitamins necessary to maintain a healthy life.
Masago - like any fish caviar- a source of irreplaceable and rare trace elements. Its distinctive property is the specificity of protein compounds. Such a special selection of protein structures is more profitable and faster absorbed by the human body (95% of 100% of incoming proteins).
This composition helps to maintain human activity throughout the day and improve the condition of the body as a whole.
Fish oil of capelin and its caviar is rich in saturated fatty acids:
- Omega 3;
- Omega 6
Not a small list of microelements that this caviar is saturated with:
- Phosphorus;
- Zinc;
- Magnesium;
- Calcium;
- Potassium;
- Copper.
All this list of important substances and vitamins provides invaluable benefit body, they
- Beneficial effect on the processes of metabolism and hematopoiesis;
- They have a preventive benefit on the activity of the thyroid gland and the work of the heart;
- Contribute to the active work of the brain;
- Prevent premature aging;
- Improve memory;
- Participate in the regulation of hormonal systems.
The only contraindication in the use of this product is a predisposition to allergic reactions.
The cost of Masago caviar is significantly lower than that of caviar salmon fish and ranges from 350 to 550 rubles for a package weighing 500 grams.
What explains the variety of colors?
On the shelves of supermarkets 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 primordiality has a light beige hue, it is 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 appetizingness of sushi and rolls is given by eggs of green and red shades.
- Red Masago. It is made by adding a natural dye (in very rare cases synthetic) - juices: beetroot, currant or pomegranate;
- Orange Masago. The most common caviar in use. A light orange tint gives the dish appetizing. This color is achieved due to light staining with synthetic food coloring on a natural basis, and sometimes ginger juice;
- Green Masago. High-quality and responsible manufacturers use extracts and juices of Japanese horseradish - wasabi, which has a light green natural color, as the basis for the coloring element. This root adds to the eggs and a special spicy flavor;
- Black Masago. The dye for it is made from cuttlefish ink. By the way, the same ink is added in the production of certain types of Japanese noodles.
Masago and Tobiko caviar: the difference
Despite the difference in taste, many compare Masago caviar with Tobiko. For a more knowledgeable person, their difference is due to the difference in manufacturing.
In fact, Tobiko is also caviar. Only not capelin, but flying fish. Outwardly, these delicacies are quite similar, if you look at them in their original version, without staining.
In Tobiko, the eggs are almost colorless, in turn, the grains of Masago have a more peach tint.
The differences between these products are significantly more noticeable in taste aspects:
- Capelin caviar - soft in taste, and smaller eggs;
- Flying fish caviar is crispy and with sweetish notes.
Tobiko is predominantly found in orange. But just like Masago, caviar flying fish dyed 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 on only from generation to generation while maintaining the secret of technology.
Marinated Tobiko in a special sauce, according to old undisclosed recipes.
How are Masago and Tobiko used in dishes?
Being a purely Japanese unique invention, these products are primarily used in national cuisine land of the rising sun. And not only in the manufacture of sushi and rolls. The resourceful Japanese add it to sauces and most local dishes.
And the most important delicacy option is considered to be serving such caviar in a single-component state - without side dishes and other products, an independent tasty dish.
Many Asian cuisine masters, knowing about the invaluable contribution to human health of such caviar, use Masago in their dishes - they add it to salads, sauces, omelettes.
In Russia, it is more common to use capelin caviar in canned form as a smoked gourmet addition to a side dish.
Wide availability of recipes Japanese cuisine, allows the average person to try homemade sushi made with the right ingredients, which are available in any supermarket. Of course, this will not make the product taste identical to real rolls or sushi, but the 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 maker Mark Olkhov will show how Masago is used to make uramaki rolls (with rice outside):
Fans of sushi and Japanese cuisine will surely pay attention to the small multi-colored eggs that act as a boning. However, few people know that this is masago (chaplain) caviar or simply capelin. It is this uncomplicated fish that acts as an important component of famous Japanese dishes.
Features of capelin caviar
Capelin is a small fish that lives in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. A large number of individuals of this species are found in Norwegian waters and in the Barents Sea.
A special kind of capelin lives off the coast of Japan, which is called a fish that looks like a willow leaf. These individuals have an elongated and slightly flattened body shape, due to which they received such a name. Masago caviar is extracted from this type of capelin.
The main feature of the Japanese capelin is its freshwater. All other species live only in the seas. It is unlikely that this feature can be associated with any unusual taste of caviar. However, the Japanese are very fond of decorating most of their dishes with it.
Types of caviar
The caviar of almost all fish has a similar composition and shape. Masago caviar is remarkable in that it has different colors: red, black, white, orange and green. Many believe that caviar is specially dyed to give a more aesthetic appearance to the dish. It's a delusion.
Beneficial features
Caviar contains a large amount of vitamins A, B, C and D, as well as trace elements and oils. Masago caviar has a rather specific taste, so it is often marinated in soy sauce or add spices.
Capelin caviar (as well as dishes with the addition of it) are a source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. It is useful to use it to enrich the body with trace elements and vitamins.
Caviar of tobiko, masago and other fish is a valuable product and a delicacy. All over the world, caviar is valued as a source of protein and vitamins; it is used in cosmetology, medicine, cooking and other industries. It must be understood that fish caviar is very valuable, because there is not so much of it. That is why the price range on the market is quite high.
What is tobiko
Tobiko is the Japanese name for flying fish roe, which is used in sushi. The size of tobiko eggs is slightly larger than capelin, it is about 0.5-0.8 mm.
The freshest eggs have a bright orange color and a salty taste with a hint of smoke. Caviar can be painted green or yellow.
Masago and tobiko roe: the difference lies not only in the size of the eggs, but also in taste. Many people think that tobiko is more delicate and pleasant than masago. That is why spices and seasonings are added to capelin caviar.
Many people think that tobiko caviar is similar to pike caviar. It is just as crispy and tasty, has no foreign smells and tastes. This caviar is somewhat more expensive than masago.
Description of different types
Red masago caviar is obtained by marinating in red synthetic dye. AT modern kitchen natural dyes are used (beet juice or pomegranate). The color is less saturated, but there is no harm to the body. When using a synthetic dye, the product becomes a bright red color.
Green caviar most often ends up on the consumer's table after the addition of wasabi - Japanese horseradish. Due to it, it receives not only a specific green tint, but also a bright spicy taste. However, many save on natural products and paint the caviar with food coloring.
Black capelin caviar is a combination of cuttlefish ink and the caviar itself. Of course, the usual black synthetic dye is most often used, but self-respecting cooks prefer natural ingredients.
Orange caviar is the most used. Most often, it is the most natural. However, sometimes it is tinted with synthetic dyes for a brighter shade, because natural caviar masago (pictured below) has a more transparent dull color. It is orange caviar that is added to everyone's favorite sushi "California" and some others. japanese food.
Where is capelin caviar used
The Japanese use caviar as a decoration and an additional component to many dishes. For example, mosago caviar is used in many rolls as a decoration and breading. Caviar is also added to sushi with cucumber and fruit, it is used as a top layer for decoration. Many Japanese dishes include caviar not only as decoration, but also as the main ingredient.
Japanese cuisine is becoming more and more popular in our country. Exquisite, 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 caviar." 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 cooking the product has been known to the Japanese for many years, carefully passed down from generation to generation.
About tobiko
If salmon caviar is especially popular in Russia, then in Japan it is tobiko. It is extracted from flying fish - an unusual inhabitant of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It has the ability to make short flights over the waves, as a result of which it got its name.
Rolls with tobiko caviar become much tastier. fresh caviar has a crispy structure, rich smoked-sea taste. Its natural color is red-orange. However, it can be artificially dyed in other shades, but only with the help of natural ingredients. For example, ginger makes the color of tobiko light orange, squid or cuttlefish ink makes it black. Wasabi colors the caviar green.
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. Saturation of taste and characteristic aroma is achieved by pre-soaking tobiko in a special sauce. The recipe for this peculiar brine is still kept secret. There are only a few companies in Japan that make the sauce.
In Russia, flying fish caviar is traditionally used to make rolls, for example, Philadelphia tobiko. In the country rising sun it is very popular and is a delicacy. As a result, the Japanese use it in various forms- adding to all kinds of dishes, fresh and frozen, making canned food, etc.
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Utility
Like all other seafood, flying fish caviar is very useful, 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 diseases blood, such as anemia. Caviar improves the health of pregnant women. A storehouse of vitamins and microelements - this is exactly what athletes need, exposing the body to significant physical exertion on a regular basis.
What can be cooked
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 spice to the dish and unusual taste. Rice will become much tastier if caviar is added to it. This is achieved due to the characteristic salty taste of seafood. .png)
You can also cook the popular spicy tobiko sauce. The mixture of orange color has a spicy and spicy taste, due to which it is actively used in the preparation of all kinds of Japanese dishes. The sauce can be added to rolls or dressed with salads.
To prepare it, it will be enough to thoroughly mix the following ingredients:
Soy sauce - 1 tbsp. the spoon;
Mayonnaise - 1 tbsp. spoon (preferably Japanese or regular, but not too greasy);
Tobiko - one tablespoon is enough;
garlic clove;
Chili pepper to taste.
With the help of flying fish caviar, you can cook almost any rolls and sushi - for example, California, Philadelphia, tobiko gunkan etc. It is a very important ingredient in such dishes. Without it, it will be difficult to achieve the optimal taste characteristic of sushi.
remember, that sushi tobiko will have the appropriate palatability only if the amount of product added is optimal. If you add too much caviar, then it will interrupt 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 flying fish caviar that makes Japanese dishes much more delicious and memorable. The cost of seafood in our country is approximately on the same level with salmon caviar, and therefore domestic citizens from time to time can treat themselves to spicy and healthy tobiko.
Surely, many of you have repeatedly admired and marveled at the wonders of the living world. Sometimes it seems that nature has played a trick on many animals, birds and other creatures: mammals that lay eggs; viviparous reptiles; birds swimming under water, and ... flying fish. In this article, we will focus specifically on our smaller brothers, who successfully conquered not only the abyss of water, but also the space above it.
distribution area
The family of these wonderful fish has more than sixty species that are found in all the southern seas. The Indo-Ocean region has forty species, twenty live in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. One of them can be found in the seas near Europe (up to In the waters washing the coast of Russia, Japanese flying fish are often caught.
general description
Despite the fact that this family is quite large, we note that all types of flying fish have certain characteristic similarities. So, they have a short jaw, and the pectoral fins are very large (commensurate with the length of the body). Since these fish live in the upper layers of the open sea, their back is painted in a dark color, and the abdomen is silver-gray.
The fins are both variegated (bright blue, green, yellow) and plain. And of course, they all share the ability to fly. Most likely, this feature developed as a means of escape from predators. And it should be noted that many of them learned quite well to "flutter" over the waters of the seas and oceans. Fish with long pectoral fins soar much better and more perfectly than their counterparts with short pectoral fins. In the course of evolution, flying fish were divided into "two-winged" and "four-winged". "Dipterans" use only pectoral fins during "flight", which are very large in them. Their movement in the air can be compared to the flight of a monoplane. In "four-winged" fish, the means for flight are the four planes of the pectoral fins. The flight of such "sea fliers" is comparable to the flight of a biplane. Before breaking out of the water and “flying”, the fish picks up speed and jumps out of the water, gliding in free flight. At the same time, she does not wave her fins, like wings, and cannot change the direction of soaring. The flight lasts up to forty seconds. Flying fish are mainly united in small flocks, numbering only a few dozen individuals. But sometimes small groups unite in huge shoals. They feed on plankton, small crustaceans and small insects. Spawning occurs in each species at different times of the year, depending on the habitat. Before spawning, the fish make circular movements over the algae, and then release milk and caviar. A thin hair is attached to each egg, with which, floating on the surface of the water, it clings to all kinds of debris: bird feathers, dead algae, branches, coconuts, and even some jellyfish. This makes it possible not to blur the caviar over long distances. Flying fish (you see the photo in the article) is an amazing creature. Some representatives of this family will be presented below.
Batfish
The bat fish has two more names - it is or the shovel fish. She received so many names due to the shape of the body (it has a rounded shape and is completely flat) and fins (in young individuals they are very developed and appearance resemble the wings of the mammals of the same name). Habitat - waters of the Red Sea. The body of this fish (as mentioned above) is round in shape, bright silver in color with dark stripes, and also very flat. They live in small flocks, from time to time rushing to the bottom of the sea in search of food.
And not so long ago, an amazing fish was discovered in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, which was also given the name "bat". But she does not know how to fly at all, but moves along the ocean floor on four fins, very similar to the membranous wings of her mammalian namesakes. The view of this miracle of nature is no less amazing: a flattened body, large eyes, huge and huge lips of bright red color. The body is covered with dark spots. Here is such a Pacific beauty. Perhaps later it will be given a different name.
Japanese flying fish
The second name is the long-winged Far East. This fish has an elongated long body. The back is dark blue and rather wide, the belly is light silvery. The fins are long and well developed. The dimensions of the dinowing are quite large - 36 cm. It lives in the south. This is a heat-loving species, but sometimes swims into the waters of Primorye. Spawns along coastlines from April to October. It is a commercial fish, which is not only used in local cuisine but also exported to other countries.
Atlantic flying fish
The second name is northern flying fish. This is the only fish that swim in the seas of Europe. The coloration of this species is almost the same as that of the Japanese relatives. Distinguishing features: well-developed pectoral and ventral fins of light gray color, along which runs a transverse white stripe.
The dorsal fin is much longer than the anal. Spawns from May to July. On the surface of the water, long white threads stretch from the eggs. The fry have a fringed barbel on their chin, which eventually falls off. Atlantic flying fish are thermophilic, therefore they swim in the northern seas only in the summer months and remain there until the onset of cold weather.
Flying sailor fish
This is a very rare fish. It was first discovered in the waters of Peter the Great Bay in 2005. Her body is elongated, slightly flattened on the sides. The head is obtuse, four times smaller than the body. The pectoral fins are short and extend beyond the bases of the dorsal fins. It should be noted that this fish was caught only once. Therefore, there is still very little information about her.
industrial value
Flying fish meat is very tasty, and therefore it is of great industrial importance. But not only meat, but also caviar. In Japanese national cuisine, flying fish caviar (tobiko is its name) takes pride of place.
Many dishes are not complete without it. In addition to the beautiful palatability, caviar and meat of flying fish are very useful. They contain about 30% protein; essential acids; phosphorus; potassium, necessary for the normal functioning of the heart and muscular system; vitamins D, C and A; all vitamins of group B. Therefore, this fish is recommended to be eaten by people who have undergone serious disease as well as pregnant women and those engaged in heavy physical labor.
tobiko caviar
Flying fish caviar in Japan is called tobiko. It is widely used in national cuisine. The preparation of the famous sushi, rolls and Japanese salads is not complete without it. Caviar color is bright orange. But you probably met on the shelves of supermarkets or in Japanese restaurants green or black tobiko caviar. This unusual color is achieved through the use of natural dyes such as wasabi juice or cuttlefish ink.
Flying fish caviar is somewhat dry, but the Japanese simply adore it and can eat it with spoons without additions. In addition, it is very high in calories: 100 g of caviar contains 72 kcal. This is the most valuable energy product especially recommended for pregnant women and children. The processing technology has remained unchanged for more than five hundred years. First, the caviar is soaked in a special sauce, and then dyed or left in its natural color, which can be enhanced with ginger juice. Green, as well as other colors, hits our shelves in the form of canned food. And, by the way, it's not cheap. All over the world, this caviar is considered a delicacy. And if you decide to cook something from Japanese cuisine, the question: “How much does flying fish caviar cost?” - will be very relevant to you. So, for half a kilogram of red tobiko you will give about 700 rubles, and for a hundred grams of green caviar about 300 rubles.
Benefits and contraindications
But despite their usefulness, the meat and caviar of flying fish still have some contraindications. The fact is that all seafood, and especially caviar, are highly allergenic.
Therefore, people prone to allergic reactions should stop eating this sea delicacy. Here is such an amazing creature that lives on our planet - a miracle of nature that has conquered two elements - air and water. Scientists are puzzled, because they have to learn a lot more about this fish. And for us - to sit comfortably with a jar of green caviar and think that nature is truly unpredictable and amazing.
