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だ。
Caviar is a luxury ingredient.
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
Similar words
- いくら: salmon roe — a common, affordable Japanese roe that is sometimes compared to caviar
- 数の子: herring roe — a traditional Japanese New Year food
- とびこ: flying fish roe — a small, crunchy roe used in sushi
- 魚卵: 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 世界三大珍味 ('the world's three great delicacies'), alongside foie gras (フォアグラ) and truffles (トリュフ).