Pollock roe, also pollack roe (also known as myeongnan and tarako) is the roe of Alaska pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) which, despite its name, is a species of cod. Salted pollock roe is a popular culinary ingredient in Korean, Japanese, and Russian cuisines. Names In Korean, pollock roe is called myeongnan (), while the salted roe dish is called myeongnan-jeot (), being considered a type of jeotgal (salted seafood). The Korean word myeongnan () means pollock roe as myeong () came from myeongtae (), the Korean word for Alaska pollock, and ran (), also pronounced nan, means "egg (roe)". As jeot () is a category of salted seafood, the compound myeongnan-jeot () refers to salted pollock roe. The Japanese word for pollock roe is tarako. Pollock food products are often called karashi-mentaiko or mentaiko, a compound of mentai (), borrowed from its Korean cognate myeongtae meaning Alaska pollock, and ko (), a Japanese word for "child (roe)". Alaska pollock are called suketōdara () in Japanese. means cod in Japanese. Tarako () literally means "cod roe", but generally refers to smaller salted roe sacs. In Russian, pollock roe is called ikra mintaya (). The word is also used to referred to the salted roe. The Russian word ikra () means "roe" and mintaya () is the singular genitive form of (), which means Alaska pollock. The word is also derived from its Korean cognate, myeongtae (). History Korea Koreans have been enjoying pollock roe since the Joseon era (1392–1897). One of the earliest mentions are from Diary of the Royal Secretariat, where a 1652 entry stated: "The management administration should be strictly interrogated for bringing in pollock roe instead of cod roe." Recipe for salted pollock roe is found in a 19th-century cookbook, Siuijeonseo. Japan A 1696 Japanese book records the use of Alaska pollock's roe in Northern land. The dish mentaiko originates from Korea and is originally the Korean myeongnan-jeot. , who was born in the city of Busan, Korea during the Japanese occupation, founded the oldest mentaiko company in Japan called "Aji no Mentaiko Fukuya" (:ja:ふくや) after World War II. He made slight modifications to myeongnan-jeot to adapt to Japanese tastes and introduced it to Japan as "Karashi mentaiko" (:ja:辛子明太子), its popular name is "mentaiko". The milder, less spicy version is called tarako () in Japan. Salted pollock roe Korea Traditionally, myeongnan-jeot was made before dongji (winter solstice). Intact skeins