tobiko

plural noun

to·​bi·​ko tə-ˈbē-(ˌ)kō 

: bright orange or red roe harvested from a flying fish (such as Cheilopogon agoo) and typically used as a condiment or garnish especially in Japanese or Japanese-inspired cuisine

By the end of the class, the kitchen table … was filled with rows of colorful sushi topped with tobiko …

—Heidi Ho

… specialty rolls … topped with tobiko, avocado and scallions.

—Paul Gregutt

… shrimp fried rice, with garlic and scallions and bright red tobiko for an extra umami crunch.

—Esther Tseng

… tobiko infused with wasabi enliven a dense swordfish steak …

—Mike Dunne

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Japanese

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined above