The general Japanese term for fish eggs or fish roe is 魚卵 (gyoran). The literal phrase 魚の卵 (sakana no tamago) also means “fish eggs,” while words such as ikura and tarako name particular kinds of roe.
The general Japanese word for fish roe
魚卵 is read gyoran and means fish eggs or fish roe. It is the concise category term used for roe as a food. The Japan Aquatic Products Export Council uses “Gyoran” for “Fish eggs.”
魚の卵 (sakana no tamago) is a more literal phrase: sakana means fish, and tamago means egg. It is useful when explaining the words themselves; gyoran is the compact term for the food category.
What ikura, tarako, mentaiko and kazunoko mean
These are names for specific roe foods, not synonyms for all fish eggs.
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| Japanese name | Fish and preparation | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Ikura (いくら) | Salmon roe separated from the ovary sac and salted or otherwise seasoned. | Shio-ikura is salted; soy-seasoned ikura is another preparation. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries describes these preparations. |
| Sujiko (すじこ) | Salted salmon or trout roe kept in its ovary sac. | Unlike ikura, the roe remains together in the sac. MAFF distinguishes sujiko from ikura. |
| Tarako (たらこ) | In common food usage, salted walleye pollock roe. | The name literally means “cod child,” but the familiar food product is generally pollock roe. Kikkoman’s glossary and the Japan Fisheries Association explain this usage. |
| Mentaiko (明太子) | Pollock roe seasoned with chili and other ingredients. | It is a seasoned preparation, not a general word for fish eggs. Kikkoman describes seasoning with dashi, red chili peppers and more. |
| Kazunoko (数の子) | Herring roe, commonly salted or dried. | It is associated with Japanese New Year foods. The export council identifies kazunoko as herring roe and notes its New Year association. |
Tarako and mentaiko: what is the difference?
Both are commonly made from walleye pollock roe. Tarako is the salted version; mentaiko is pollock roe seasoned with chili and other ingredients, often including dashi. The terms therefore distinguish preparations rather than different general categories of fish eggs. Kikkoman notes that both appear in a variety of Japanese and Western dishes: Seasoned Cod Roe / Tarako and Mentaiko.
The “cod” in English descriptions can be confusing. The Japan Fisheries Association explains that although tarako literally means “child of cod,” the everyday salted product usually refers to walleye pollock roe: 明太子とタラコの違いを知りたい！ 親は誰？何の卵？
How roe is salted
Names can also reflect how roe is processed. MAFF describes direct sprinkling with salt and brining as distinct methods, and lists salted roe products including sujiko, shio-ikura, shio-tarako and shio-kazunoko, as well as karashi-mentaiko and seasoned kazunoko: MAFF’s Japanese food and cuisine guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A note on sodium in tarako
Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology lists 1,800 mg of sodium per 100 g for its 2023 supplementary food-composition-table entry for raw walleye pollock tarako. That figure applies to that specific database entry; it should not be treated as a value for every tarako product or other kinds of roe. MEXT Food Composition Database.
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