Bottarga is a specialty of Sardinia, sometimes called 'Sardinian caviar'. We currently offer two types, 'bottarga di muggine', which is the salted, pressed and dried roe of the grey mullet, and 'bottarga di tonno', or tuna bottarga.
To make bottarga, the entire roe sac is removed with the utmost care to avoid piercing; they are then salted and massaged by hand over several weeks to eliminate air pockets and pressed using wooden planks and stone or marble weights into the characteristic oblong shapes before sun-drying them for one to two months depending on the size of the roe.
The finished product is amber to dark brown in colour and firm and waxy in texture. The flavour of bottarga di tonno is bold and intense, and slightly stronger than that of muggine.
Bottarga from Cabras is renowned for its exceptional quality and flavour and has been recognized as such by the Slow Food Movement in their Ark of Taste, which promotes the finest tasting artisan foods in the world.
Bottarga is packed with zinc, omega-3, protein, calcium, vitamins A and D.
The best way to eat bottarga is raw. It can be used to prepare vegetable antipasti (it goes perfectly with raw artichokes) and side dishes. Sliced thinly and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and lemon, it makes a delicious crostini. It also tastes wonderful with pasta: “Spaghetti con Bottarga” made with grated or finely chopped bottarga, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and chopped parsley - a simple but delicious dish.
Our tuna bottarga averages 200g in weight.