キャビア

きゃびあ
noun
caviar
1. caviar
Salt-cured eggs (roe) of sturgeon, served as a luxury delicacy. Widely known in Japan as one of the 'three great delicacies of the world' along with foie gras and truffles.
キャビアは高級食材(こうきゅうしょくざい)だ。
Caviar is a luxury ingredient.
クラッカーに(すこ)しだけキャビアを()せて()べた。
I ate caviar on a cracker with just a little on top.
キャビアはフォアグラ、トリュフとともに世界(せかい)三大(さんだい)珍味(ちんみ)(ひと)つとされている。
Caviar, together with foie gras and truffles, is considered one of the world's three great delicacies.

Caviar specifically refers to sturgeon roe in the strict culinary sense, though the word is occasionally used loosely for fish roe of other species in casual Japanese.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • キャビアを()べる: to eat caviar
  • キャビア料理(りょうり): caviar dishes
  • 本物(ほんもの)のキャビア: real caviar
  • キャビアを()える: to garnish with caviar

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • いくら: salmon roe — a common, affordable Japanese roe that is sometimes compared to caviar
  • (かず)(): herring roe — a traditional Japanese New Year food
  • とびこ: flying fish roe — a small, crunchy roe used in sushi
  • 魚卵(ぎょらん): fish roe (general term) — the broader category that includes キャビア, いくら, and others

CULTURAL NOTE:
Caviar is strongly associated in Japan with luxury, high-end French and Russian cuisine, and special occasions. It is often mentioned in the phrase 世界(せかい)三大(さんだい)珍味(ちんみ) ('the world's three great delicacies'), alongside foie gras (フォアグラ) and truffles (トリュフ).