Sujiko ✦

Sujiko (œufs de saumon en poche)

What it is

Suji is the streak of membrane still holding the eggs: roe taken before it ripens and salted inside its sac, so it stays smaller, darker and denser than loose grain. The loose version took a foreign name — ikura is Russian, икра, brought back by Japanese fishermen in the early twentieth century — while the older sac form kept its Japanese one.

In the kitchen

Slice it across the sac a centimetre thick and lay it on hot rice — the membrane holds the block together and anything thinner falls apart. It is saltier than ikura by design, so serve half as much.

Goes with

Rice Nori Shiso Daikon Junmai sake Wasabi Kombu

Same species

Ikura Mefun (salted salmon kidney) Trout roe

In season alongside

Lobster coral Sardine Japanese abalone Bonito (katsuo) Japanese amberjack (buri) Scallop coral

Something wrong here, or missing? Tell us