Keta - Wild Salmon Roe

Keta is the big, glossy orange salmon roe that sits on top of sushi. Each egg bursts on the tongue, which is why it's been called "solid champagne".

• One 50g or 100g jar of wild keta salmon roe, chilled (not frozen)
• A 50g jar dresses a dozen or more blinis or canapés
• Keep in the fridge; once opened, eat within 10 days

It comes from keta (chum) salmon, a wild Pacific species, caught off the USA and Canada. The roe is lightly salted and pasteurised, which gives it a long fridge life: our stock always has at least three months on it, and usually more.

It's salty and intense, so a little goes a long way. Nobody eats it by the spoonful (well, almost nobody).

How to use salmon roe

Sushi: on nigiri, inside a cucumber collar (gunkan), or scattered over a chirashi bowl.

Canapés: a teaspoon on a blini with crème fraîche and dill.

Breakfast: over scrambled eggs, or on a bagel with smoked salmon.

Questions

Is it caviar?
Strictly, caviar comes only from sturgeon. Salmon roe is sometimes called red caviar.

Is it frozen?
No, it's sold chilled. It does freeze well if you need it to keep longer.

How long does it last?
Unopened, at least three months in the fridge. Opened, 10 days.

What's the difference between ikura and tobiko?
Ikura is salmon roe, large and orange. Tobiko is the tiny, crunchy roe of flying fish.

What are the allergens?
Fish. Ingredients: salmon eggs and salt.

For a sushi night, pair it with our sushi grade salmon saku block. For the sturgeon kind, there's Baerii caviar.