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Mentaiko (spicy cod roe)

Mentaiko is salted and chili-seasoned cod roe commonly served with rice, noodles, or as a filling.

Mentaiko (spicy cod roe) — illustrative ingredient image

About Mentaiko (spicy cod roe)

Mentaiko is salted and chili-seasoned roe of cod, commonly Alaska pollock, prepared as intact sacs or as loose roe. It is commonly served with rice, used in pasta and other noodle dishes, spread on bread or crackers, mixed into sauces, and incorporated into fillings and toppings.

It has a briny, savoury flavour with chili heat and a soft, moist, granular texture. The balance varies with salt, chili, curing time, moisture, and added ingredients, so no single intensity or texture applies to every product.

Mentaiko is typically orange to reddish and may be sold as whole roe sacs, cut portions, or processed seasoned roe. When cooked, it may become firmer or more opaque; removing it from the sac and blending it changes the grains into a dispersed filling, spread, or sauce.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where mentaiko (spicy cod roe) appears

1 linked foods

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Rice dishes

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for mentaiko (spicy cod roe)

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Mentaiko (spicy cod roe)

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Mentaiko (spicy cod roe) nutrition & diet

Mentaiko (spicy cod roe) nutritional value

Fish, cod, walleye pollock*, "Karashi-mentaiko" (salted roe with red hot pepper powder) ［*Syn. Alaska pollock］ — MEXT 10204

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the explicitly named reference form.

Calories
121kcal
Protein
21.0g
Carbs
3.0g
Fat
3.3g

Per 100 g edible portion. Values use MEXT 2023 with March 2026 corrections; the English food name is matched by food code from the official English edition. Carbohydrate is total carbohydrate by difference. Values in parentheses in the source are estimates reported by MEXT. This reference does not cover other preparations or brands.

Portions & preparation

Match the reference to salted and chili-seasoned cod roe in its stated form: whole sacs, loosened roe, paste, or a prepared sauce. Preparation may include alcohol, sugar, soy, mayonnaise, or other seasonings. Record the roe portion apart from rice, noodles, bread, butter, and garnishes.

Compare the right form: Use a reference for salted, chili-seasoned cod roe matching whole or loosened form, preparation, brand or recipe, and edible portion.

Diet considerations

Cod roe is animal-derived, while the seasoning mixture may add soy, alcohol, sugar, egg-based mayonnaise, dairy, or cereal ingredients. Check the product or recipe rather than treating all mentaiko alike. Rice, noodles, bread, and other accompaniments drive portion-dependent carbohydrate patterns and may change compatibility.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically incompatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically incompatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    May be compatible
  • Paleo
    May be compatible
  • Low-carb
    May be compatible
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically incompatible
The ingredient profile identifies an animal-derived food or derivative.
Vegetarian · Typically incompatible
The profile identifies animal flesh, seafood or a derivative excluded by a vegetarian diet.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
Seafood fits this pescatarian definition. Added meat-based stock or other ingredients would need checking separately.
Keto · May be compatible
The plain form may fit a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Check the portion, added sugar, coatings and sauces against the nutrition values above.
Paleo · May be compatible
May fit a paleo pattern, depending on the cut or form, processing and added ingredients.
Low-carb · May be compatible
The plain form may fit a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Check the portion, added sugar, coatings and sauces against the nutrition values above.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: MEXT Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, 2023 supplement, corrected March 2026 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .