Mentaiko Day (Mentaiko no Hi)

What Is Mentaiko Day?

January 10th is "Mentaiko no Hi" (Mentaiko Day) in Japan, established by Fukuya, a food company based in Fukuoka. On January 10, 1949, Fukuya, founded the year before, first put its long-developed karashi mentaiko (spicy marinated pollock roe) on sale in its shop. The date was also the day of the New Year Grand Festival at Fukuoka's Toka Ebisu Shrine, a day associated with prosperous business.

The Birth of Hakata's Famous Karashi Mentaiko

Karashi mentaiko became a Fukuoka specialty thanks largely to Fukuya's founder, Kawahara Toshio.

• Roots in the flavors of Busan: Kawahara was born and raised in Busan during the period of Japanese rule over Korea, and he remembered "myeongnanjeot," pollock roe pickled with chili pepper, from his youth. After the war he opened a grocery store in Nakasu, Fukuoka, and through repeated experiments with the seasoning liquid he created "Aji no Mentaiko," suited to Japanese tastes.
• He didn't keep the recipe to himself: Kawahara is said to have never patented his method and to have taught it to other businesses. As a result, many mentaiko makers sprang up in Fukuoka, and karashi mentaiko spread nationwide as Hakata's signature specialty.

The Name "Mentaiko"

On the Korean Peninsula, Alaska pollock is called "myeongtae," and because the product is the fish's roe ("ko," child), it came to be called "mentaiko." Mentaiko itself was already being made and sold on the Korean Peninsula and in Shimonoseki before the war; Fukuya's achievement was creating karashi mentaiko with a flavor Japanese people loved and growing it into Fukuoka's famous specialty.

Fun Facts About Mentaiko

• Tarako vs. mentaiko: Pollock roe cured in salt is "tarako"; when it is further marinated in a seasoning liquid with chili pepper, it becomes "karashi mentaiko."
• Another Mentaiko Day: December 12th is also called "Mentaiko Day," marking the day the word "mentaiko" first appeared in a Japanese newspaper.
• Tarako spaghetti: Spaghetti made with pollock roe is said to have been invented in the 1960s at "Kabe no Ana," a spaghetti restaurant in Shibuya, Tokyo.
• "Mentai" as a symbol of Hakata: The rock scene centered on Hakata in the 1970s and 80s was nicknamed "Mentai Rock."

Ways to Spend Mentaiko Day

• Enjoy mentaiko simply, on a bowl of freshly cooked rice
• Try dishes like mentaiko pasta, rolled omelet with mentaiko or mentaiko French bread
• Compare the spiciness and seasoning of different makers' mentaiko
• Share the story of the founder who spread his recipe to grow a local specialty as a topic of conversation at work

Hakata's famous specialty was born from one merchant's ingenuity and his willingness to share his methods. On January 10th, why not choose mentaiko to go with your rice?