Making Our Own Karashi Mentaiko

The following is an account written by one of our Chinese translators.

The workshop leader, Tomonō Atsushi, began by talking us through the history of karashi mentaiko and how it is made. Originally a Korean dish, karashi mentaiko entered Japan through Hakata and is now popular all over the country.

Before we started, Tomonō-san provided us with gloves, masks, and caps. We started by putting the fish roe into a special container and then added chili pepper to taste, along with either kombu (dried kelp) or yuzu (a citrus fruit) as a topping. Next, we had to choose an alcoholic spirit to add to the mentaiko as a flavor enhancer and preserving agent. We could chose from white wine, brandy, sake, shōchū (a distilled drink made from barley, sweet potatoes, or other ingredients), and awamori (a distilled spirit produced in Okinawa from long-grained rice). I opted for a generous dash of chili pepper plus yuzu and white wine. Tomonō-san told us that all these types of alcohol are commonly used in commercially produced karashi mentaiko, with the exception of brandy. This was enough to persuade my coworker to choose the brandy. She knew the opportunity would not come again!

The Secret Sauce

The last thing to be added was a red sauce for flavoring. I was curious to know what goes into the sauce, but Tomonō-san shook his head. “Trade secret,” he said with a smile. “Even I don’t know what’s in it!” Once you’ve decided your personal recipe, the shop will keep your details on record for any follow-up orders.

We filled in a label with the date and the details of the ingredients we had chosen. Then the container was sealed tight and our work was over. In total, the whole process took around 40 minutes. Finally, we were issued with souvenir certificates with our names on them, and told that our creations would be ready for us to enjoy in five days. I could hardly wait.

(Photographs by Kusano Seiichirō)

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