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Mentaiko

Marinated spicy pollock roe used in Japanese dishes.

Mentaiko — illustrative ingredient image

About Mentaiko

Mentaiko is marinated, salted, and chili-seasoned pollock roe, usually kept as intact roe sacs or removed as loose roe. It is used in Japanese dishes and may be served with rice, mixed into noodles or sauces, or used as a filling or topping.

Its flavour is briny and savoury with chili heat, while its texture is moist and granular. The exact balance of salt, spice, moisture, and curing is product-dependent, so sensory detail cannot be specified more narrowly for the general name.

Mentaiko is commonly orange to reddish and sold as whole sacs, cut portions, or processed seasoned roe. It may be served uncooked or cooked; cooking can make the roe firmer and more opaque, while mixing disperses its grains through a sauce, filling, or spread.

Ingredient type
compound ingredient

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Where mentaiko appears

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

Local names for mentaiko

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

mentaiko

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

Mentaiko nutrition & diet

Mentaiko 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

Establish whether this is pollock roe or another roe, and whether it is raw-marinated, cooked, pasteurized, frozen, or prepared in a packaged sauce. Record the roe portion separately from rice, noodles, mayonnaise, dairy, or garnishes. Recipe-specific salt and chili additions require matching preparation.

Compare the right form: Match the reference to the identified roe species and exact marinated preparation, including pasteurization, sauce, brand, and edible portion.

Diet considerations

Mentaiko is animal-derived roe when that identity is confirmed, but the recipe may include dairy, egg-based mayonnaise, alcohol, soy, sugar, or cereal-containing accompaniments. Check the complete preparation rather than assuming plain roe. Compatibility and carbohydrate patterns change notably when served with rice, noodles, bread, or sauces.

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

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
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: .