Pollock roe (myeongnan)

Myeongnan is the roe of the myeongtae, the Alaska pollock, and Koreans began eating it in quantity as the pollock fishery grew. By the end of the Joseon period, pollock was the country's leading catch, much of it landed off the northeast coast. Salted pollock roe, myeongnan-jeot, first appears in writing in Yi Gyu-gyeong's 19th-century encyclopedia Oju yeonmun jangjeon sango, and a method for making it is recorded in the late-1800s cookbook Siui jeonseo.

The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture recommends curing the roe before the winter solstice, when the fish are full of eggs, and lists the classic ways to eat it: sliced and dressed with sesame oil and shredded green onion, grilled on a rack, cooked into a stew with egg, or brushed with sesame oil, sun-dried and toasted. Roe from Sinpo and Seoho, ports in present-day North Korea, was especially famous.

Salted pollock roe has also become a Japanese favorite. The Fukuoka company Fukuya, founded by Kawahara Toshio, began making and selling mentaiko in January 1949, and chili-seasoned karashi mentaiko is commonly described as an adaptation of Korean myeongnan-jeot. In Korea, myeongnan-jeot remains a staple banchan, and the roe is folded into steamed eggs and stews.

• Protein and B vitamins: Pollock roe is protein-dense and supplies niacin, riboflavin, thiamin and phosphorus; the seasoned jeot is also rich in selenium.
• Very high in sodium: Seasoned myeongnan-jeot carries about 2,200 mg of sodium per 100 g in the Korean table, so it is eaten a few slices at a time as a salty accent.
• Cholesterol: The Korean table lists roughly 250 mg of cholesterol per 100 g of seasoned myeongnan-jeot.
• Fish allergy: Fish roe comes from fish, one of the nine major food allergens under U.S. law.
• Pollock and mercury: The FDA/EPA advice on eating fish lists pollock among its lowest-mercury "Best Choices"; it does not give separate advice for roe.