Spaghetti with Bottarga, Lemon and Olive Oil
A twenty-minute plate of spaghetti finished off the heat with grated bottarga, lemon and good olive oil.
17 minutes · Casa Bottarga Umami
The Mediterranean Bottarga Guide
Discover bottarga: its history, flavour and place at the table.
Bottarga is fish roe that has been salted, pressed and dried. This guide explains what it is, how it is sold, how to choose between forms, and how to serve it well, in Turkey and across the Mediterranean.
What is bottarga?
Bottarga is the roe sac of a fish, salted, pressed and dried until firm enough to slice or grate. Its flavour is saline, savoury and lingering, with a richness closer to cured fish than to fresh roe. A little goes a long way, which is why it is usually shaved thinly or grated sparingly rather than eaten by the spoonful.
Read the definitive guide →A Mediterranean tradition
Salting and drying fish roe is a preserving method found in several Mediterranean and eastern Mediterranean food cultures, each with its own names, species and serving habits. Turkey sits inside that wider picture rather than apart from it, and this guide treats the region as one connected story with local differences worth describing accurately.
Bottarga in Turkey →Three ways to experience it
Bottarga is generally sold in three forms. The right one depends on how often you cook with it and whether you want to slice, shave or finish.
Whole, smaller format
A single small lobe, usually vacuum-packed. The most forgiving way to start: slice it thinly for the table or grate what you need.
Best format for this use
First purchase and everyday cooking
Casa Bottarga Piccolo: small in form, generous in flavour.
Large waxed whole bottarga
A larger selected lobe protected in wax. It cuts cleanly for presentation and suits a household that will use it regularly.
Best format for this use
Presentation, gifting and frequent use
Casa Bottarga Riserva: selected for the table, protected in wax.
Grated bottarga
Already grated and jarred. The quickest route to a finished plate: a spoonful over pasta, eggs or warm vegetables.
Best format for this use
Speed and convenience
Casa Bottarga Umami: a spoonful of the sea.
Featured recipes
Simple dishes chosen to show the ingredient rather than bury it. Each one names the format that suits it and how much to use.
Soft Scrambled Eggs with Grated Bottarga
Slow, soft scrambled eggs finished with grated bottarga and chives: the easiest way to taste what it does.
10 minutes · Casa Bottarga Umami
Bottarga Toast with Butter and Lemon
Toasted bread, cold butter and paper-thin bottarga slices with lemon: five minutes, three ingredients.
8 minutes · Casa Bottarga Piccolo
Warm Potatoes with Bottarga and Parsley
Warm new potatoes dressed with olive oil, lemon and parsley, finished with grated bottarga off the heat.
25 minutes · Casa Bottarga Umami
Tomato Salad with Bottarga
Ripe summer tomatoes, olive oil and basil, finished with grated bottarga instead of salt: a five-minute plate.
10 minutes · Casa Bottarga Umami
Bottarga Butter
A compound butter of grated bottarga, lemon zest and parsley, made in five minutes and useful for a fortnight.
10 minutes plus 1 hour chilling · Casa Bottarga Umami
From Turkey's table
Cured roe has a place in Turkish coastal cooking, where it is known as kefal havyarı. Traditional meze service and contemporary restaurant use are the subject of ongoing research for this guide, and we will publish them once sources are confirmed rather than repeat second-hand claims.
Bottarga in Turkey →Presented by Casa Bottarga
Bottarga Turkey is presented by Casa Bottarga, a Mediterranean house devoted to selected whole and grated bottarga. This guide stays useful whether or not you buy anything; where a product genuinely helps you choose or source, we say so plainly.
Trade and wholesale
Chefs, hotels, yacht provisioners, delicatessens and distributors can request formats, professional guidance and samples through a single enquiry.
Trade & wholesale →Join the table
Recipes, serving notes and first access from the Mediterranean table.