{{Short description|Japanese fish-based food item}} {{Infobox | above = Karasumi | image = 200px | caption = Mullet roe drying. The roe sac is deveined, and progressively pressed, dehydrated and salted until the desired firmness or texture is achieved. Mullet roe is considered a delicacy in Taiwan as well as in Japan. | data1 = {{Infobox Japanese | img = | hiragana = からすみ | katakana = カラスミ | kanji = 唐墨、鰡子、鱲子 | romaji = karasumi}} | data2 = {{Infobox Chinese | title = Chinese name | c = 烏魚子 | p = wūyú zǐ | poj = o͘-hî-chí}} }} thumb|''Karasumi'' drying in Tokyo '''''Karasumi''''' ({{langx|ja|からすみ (唐墨、鰡子、鱲子)}} or '''''wūyú zǐ''''' ({{zh|c=烏魚子}}) is a food item made by salting mullet roe pouch and drying it in sunlight. It is a softer analog of Mediterranean bottarga.
==Japan== ''Karasumi'' is a high priced delicacy in Japan and it is eaten while drinking sake. A theory suggests that it got its name from its resemblance to the blocks of ''sumi'' (inkstick) imported from China (''Kara'') for use in Japanese calligraphy.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Sanmi Sasaki|author2=Shaun McCabe|author3=Satoko Iwasaki|title=Chado: The Way of Tea|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|year=2002|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=6OUXvqSHSboC&pg=PA571 571]}}</ref>
It is a specialty of Nagasaki and along with salt-pickled sea urchin roe and ''konowata'' one of the "three ''chinmi'' of Japan".
==Taiwan== The ''wūyú zǐ'' is almost always the roe pouch of the flathead grey mullet (''Mugil cephalus''). Mullet fishing in Taiwan can be traced back to when the island was under Dutch colonial rule.<ref name="Kuo">{{cite news|url=http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=186453&CtNode=429 |first=Grace |last=Kuo |title=Mullet roe brings gold to Taiwan's fishermen |work=Taiwan Today |date=19 February 2012 |access-date=3 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429094820/http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=186453&CtNode=429 |archive-date=29 April 2012}}</ref><ref name="Ran">{{cite web|first=Tiffany |last=Ran |title=This Taiwanese appetizer is one of the most expensive in the world |url=https://www.goldthread2.com/food/taiwan-bottarga-luxury/article/3020241 |website=Goldthread |publisher=South China Morning Post |date= 26 July 2019 |access-date=5 February 2026}}</ref> Early historical accounts, from the ''{{ill|Taiwan Prefectural Gazetteer|zh|臺灣府志}}'' to the ''General History of Taiwan''<ref name="Ran"/> mention this delicacy.
''Wūyú zǐ'' was traditionally only consumed seasonally—from December to January—when spawning mullet arrived at the island's southeastern coast.<ref name="Kuo"/><ref name="Ran"/> The delicacy came to be associated with the Lunar New Year that falls in January or February.<ref name="Ran"/>
The town of Donggang in Pingtung County specializes in the delicacy.
==See also== * Bottarga * Eoran * List of delicacies
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Roe}} {{Dried fish and seafood}} {{Japanese food and drink|state=collapsed}} {{Fishing industry topics}}
Category:Japanese cuisine Category:Taiwanese cuisine Category:Roe dishes