With the opening of the Suez Canal 1869 and connecting The Red Sea with the

Mediterranean Sea in Port Said, Egypt. The Grey Mullets fish in The Mediterranean
found a great home in the opening of the Canal where the Red Sea Water mix with
The Mediterranean Sea Water, and made it their home and produce the greatest
Mullet Roe which make the Egyptian Bottarga.

Egyptian Bottarga; also known as Batarekh, in Arabic, is an ancient exotic delicacy

made from the roe of wild caught Mullet fish. Its origins can be traced back to the
Middle East some 3000 years ago, where Phoenicians were among the first culture
to cure Mullet Roe.

Bottarga is an unfamiliar name to many, but this distinctive ingredient can be found
in a wide range of Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese and Greek cuisine. Bottarga
is the salted and dried egg pouch (roe) of either tuna or grey mullet. This culinary
gem is often described as having a flavor similar to dried anchovies due to its notably
salty “bite”, but it also features a surprisingly smooth and silky texture. Similar to
how truffles are used, Bottarga is often grated or crumbled over various dishes, but
it can also be sliced into small wedges and served as a standalone appetizer.

Bottarga is still prepared today as it was thousands of years ago. Cured to perfection,
honey like color, somewhat soft and moist. Made by the finest Bottarga producers
in Port Said, Egypt. Often served in thin slices, with a shaved layer of garlic, drizzled
in virgin olive oil, and eaten with traditional flat bread.

The process by which Bottarga is made is as intriguing as the flavor of the ingredient
itself. In accordance with a centuries-old Mediterranean tradition, the egg pouch is
carefully removed by hand from the tuna or grey mullet, and then washed and
massaged until all of the air pockets are gone. The egg pouch is then salted and
pressed into its characteristic oblong shape, and air dried for several weeks until it
turns into somewhat of a dense, amber-colored tablet. The Bottarga is then sliced
into elongated strips and dipped in beeswax to preserve shelf life.

So what is the difference -if any- between Bottarga and caviar? Well, keep in mind
that you’re referring to fish eggs either way, but there are a couple of important
distinctions to point out. For example, in the United States and Canada, only roe
(fish eggs) derived from sturgeon can be labeled as “caviar”, while roe from any
other type of fish must be labeled to include the name of the fish, such as salmon
roe, whitefish roe, trout roe, carp roe, etc. Since the eggs used in Bottarga are
primarily harvested grey mullet, they cannot technically be called “caviar”, but the
process used to create both of these delicacies is quite similar. Both Bottarga and
caviar undergo a salting and curing process before being converted into the final
product, but due to the differences in sourcing criteria, caviar is significantly more
expensive, commanding anywhere between $100 to $1,000 an ounce. By contrast,
the average price of Bottarga can range from $6 to $18 an ounce.

Grey mullet Bottarga is considered to be more desirable due to its smaller egg pouch,
as well as its more delicate flavor, which tends to complement a wider range of
culinary preparations.