TARAMA
(COD BOTTARGA)
A must for the aperitif, tarama is loved by all!
But do you know all its secrets?
History of tarama
Fish roe and caviar have been part of our diet since ancient times. Tarama, meaning "salted fish eggs" in Greek, appeared in the Mediterranean basin (Turkey and Greece) when it was made from mullet eggs, milk or sandwich bread. The colour of tarama was then close to beige, slightly tending towards salmon pink. As mullet roe became rare, it was replaced by cod roe.
Before Greece joined the European Union in the 1980s, tarama was almost unknown in France, except within the Greek community.
Real tarama : industrial tarama or natural tarama?
Nowadays, most of us are used to buying our industrial tarama, often in pink or even fuchsia pink. But do you know what the difference is between this industrial tarama and real tarama?
First of all, the list of ingredients! In an industrial tarama, you will generally find 50% rapeseed oil, 40% cod roe, salt, colourings and preservatives. A real tarama will be made of 99% cod roe and 1% sea salt, like ours!
Secondly, the colour! As seen before, the tarama should be very pale, almost white, slightly pink from the colour of the cod roe. The fuchsia pink colour that can be found in the shops is only due to the colouring, and in particular carminic acid, which comes from crushed insect powder. We have become so used to it that a plain beige tarama could almost repel us!
Finally, the taste, which, as you can imagine, is modified by the colourings and preservatives used in industrial tarama, making it acidic, even salmon-coloured at times. A real tarama offers you a sweet bitterness and iodine notes, which can be found in fish roe.
So, industrial or natural tarama, which do you choose?
Tarama Maison Dehesa : 100% natural
The tarama Maison Dehesa is a 100% natural tarama. We have selected cod from the cold seas of Iceland for the quality of the water, which gives the roe its unrivalled purity. The skin of the roe is lightly smoked in the Japanese style to obtain all the flavours of the tarama without any additives or ingredients from the classic recipe.
In terms of nutrition, it's a no-brainer! Like most fish eggs, cod eggs are an excellent source of omega-3, often accompanied by high concentrations of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K, minerals and trace elements. An exceptional product, a true ally of your health, and above all of your pleasure!
How to make your own tarama?
Making homemade tarama is very simple and requires no technical skills. As for the ingredients, apart from the cod roe, you probably already have everything you need at home!
Ingredients :
- Pouch of cod roe
- Olive oil
- lemon juice
- Breadcrumbs (optional)
- Seasoning: salt, pepper, herbs, spices of your choice
Recipe for homemade tarama :
1. Very simply, mix all the ingredients together until you get a light and airy mousse.
2. Serve your homemade tarama with traditional blinis or toast. Your tarama can also be used as an aperitif dip, to accompany your vegetables and other raw vegetables.
Enjoy your meal !