The name bottarga, as it is called in Marseille, derived from the Arabic "bitarikha" to designate salted and dried fish eggs, dates back more or less to the 16th century, a period when the town of Martigues, in the south of France, made it its specialty. Fishermen preferred to consume it, and one understands why, instead of commercializing it...

This centuries-old tradition was also known to the Egyptians
which were already practicedmore than 3000 years ago.

The method is simple and accessible to everyone; the mullet or tuna eggs for tuna bottarga are pressed, salted, and then dried on a rack for a few days.
Essential on all beautiful tables in the south, this luxury product, "Mediterranean caviar" is a concentrate of iodine. The land/sea blend suits it wonderfully, not to mention the pasta with bottarga that continues to be universally appreciated.