Kazunoko – [Sushi | Foodlore]

Description

•  Kazunoko –  (Herring roe) – Hiragana: かずのこ – Katakana: カズノコ – Kanji: 数の子. 

• About: Herring roe comes in larges chunks of eggs, often salted or dried, these are called “yellow diamonds” for their shape and crunchy texture.  Kazunoko has been eaten as part of Osechi (lucky new years meals) since at least the Heian period with prayers for fertility and the prosperity of children in mind. (The large clusters of eggs are said to be symbolic of a big family.) Incidentally, pacific herring served on its own is called “Nishin” and belongs to the hikarimono (classifications of shiny fish.) – but I decided to just draw the herring roe because it’s a bit more iconic & you see it served a lot more often than the fish itself. (Apparently, wild herring has become much harder to catch in recent years, so it’s typically bred for the fish’s roe sacks)