数(かず)の子(こ)

かずのこ

noun

herring roe (a New Year food)

1. herring roe

A firm yellow block of herring eggs, salted or preserved in brine and soaked before eating. It has a distinctive crunch and is a fixture of the New Year's 御節(おせち) box.

数(かず)の子(こ)が好(す)きだ。

I like herring roe.

正月(しょうがつ)には数(かず)の子(こ)を食(た)べる。

We eat herring roe at New Year.

塩(しお)を抜(ぬ)いてから出汁(だし)につけると、数(かず)の子(こ)の歯(は)ごたえが生(い)きる。

Soaking out the salt and then steeping it in dashi brings out the crunch of the herring roe.

The name comes from 鰊(かど), an old word for herring: 鰊(かど)の子(こ) became かずのこ, later written with 数(かず).

Common collocations

数(かず)の子(こ)の塩抜(しおぬ)き: soaking the salt out of herring roe
味付(あじつ)け数(かず)の子(こ): pre-seasoned herring roe
数(かず)の子(こ)の歯(は)ごたえ: the crunch of herring roe

Cultural note

In the New Year's 御節(おせち) box it stands for fertility and many descendants, since one block holds countless eggs. It sits alongside 黒豆(くろまめ) (black beans, for health) and 田作(たづく)り (candied sardines, for a good harvest) as one of the three classic 祝(いわ)い肴(ざかな).

Related Words

Compare: たらこ (cod roe)

Compare: 白子(しらこ) (milt)

Compare: キャビア (caviar)

Compare: とびこ (flying fish roe (sushi topping))

Related: おせち (osechi)

general

Added 2026.8.10 9:22 · Revised 2026.10.4 4:17

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