· イクラ · ikura
Ikura
Ikura is salmon roe — large, glossy orange pearls that burst with briny richness, served as gunkanmaki. The name is borrowed from the Russian word for roe.
- Also known as
- salmon roe, sujiko
- Species
- Oncorhynchus spp. (Salmon roe)
- Category
- Roe & uni (gunkanmaki)
- Texture
- bursting pearls — briny, rich, pop
- Peak season
- Sep, Oct, Nov
- Sustainability
- varies — Depends on the salmon fishery; wild Alaskan salmon roe generally rates well.
- Mercury
- Not in the FDA consumer table
- Pregnancy
- Eat in moderation
- Price tier
- $$$
What ikura is
Ikura is salmon roe — large (5–7 mm), translucent orange spheres that pop between the teeth and flood the palate with briny, fatty richness. It’s almost always served as gunkanmaki, the nori-wrapped “battleship” that holds the loose pearls.
A borrowed name
The word ikura comes from the Russian ikra (“fish roe”), absorbed into Japanese in the early 20th century — a rare loanword neta.
Ikura vs sujiko
Ikura is separated into individual eggs; sujiko is the immature roe still bound in its membrane sac, saltier and more concentrated. Peak season is autumn, when salmon run to spawn. Good ikura pops cleanly — mushy or overly salty pearls are past their best. Compare the three roes.
Related neta
Salmon
Salmon (sake) is one of the world's most popular sushi fish — and one of the least traditional. Raw salmon sushi is a 1980s Norwegian invention, not edomae.
飛子 tobikoTobiko
Tobiko is flying-fish roe — the tiny, crunchy orange beads on the outside of rolls. Mild and smoky-sweet, and often tinted: wasabi green, squid-ink black, yuzu gold.