Lumpfish Roe
Cyclopterus lumpus
North Atlantic (Iceland / Scandinavia)·Iceland·Everyday
The supermarket standby. Tiny, firm, salt-brined beads — color is almost always added dye. Simple, aggressive salinity with no real complexity. Its role is visual and budgetary, not gastronomic. Fine for decoration; not for a serious tasting.
Salinity4Butteriness1Nuttiness0Umami2Complexity1
Pop
firm
Finish
Salty
Texture
firm
Grain
small
Colour
jet black
Blini service
Recommended
Cheap, colorful, and sturdy for canapé platters. Flavor is simple and salty — context is everything.
Pairings
- Champagne
- Brut NV Champagne
- Wine
- Dry white wine
- Spirits
- Chilled vodka
Production
- Source
- wild
- Producer
- North Atlantic (Iceland / Scandinavia)
- Processing
- brined, usually dyed
- Grade
- standard
Legal & sourcing
Not sturgeon, not CITES-listed. Freely legal in the US. Color is typically added dye.
At a menu
The supermarket 'caviar' — fine for decoration, not for tasting.
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