Cream Cheese Dips are not Japanese dishes, but I am posting Cream Cheese Dip with Spicy Pollock Roe (Mentai Cheese Dip) because the flavour comes from spicy pollock roe, which is a popular Japanese ingredient.
Like most dips, Cream Cheese Dip with Spicy Pollock Roe is very easy to make and is full of flavour from the mentaiko (spicy pollock roe). The slight spiciness is quite addictive.
About Mentaiko
Spicy pollock roe is called ‘mentaiko’ (明太子) or ‘karashi mentaiko’ (辛子明太子) in Japanese. The word ‘karashi’ (辛子) means chilli in this context. I introduced mentaiko in my recipe Mentaiko Pasta, but I didn’t go into much detail about it in the post.
Mentaiko originated in Korea and was developed by marinating salted pollock roe, ‘tarako’ (たらこ) in Japanese, in kimchi-style seasoning.
Mentaiko first arrived in Fukuoka, in the northern part of Japan’s Kyūshū Island, which is close to the Korean Peninsula. The Japanese modified the kimchi flavour to suit the Japanese palate, resulting in just the right level of spiciness.
Even today, Fukuoka – particularly the Hakata district – is most famous for producing high quality mentaiko.
You can buy frozen mentaiko in packs at Japanese or Korean grocery stores. Each pack often contains 2-3 sacs – 3 small sacs or 2 large sacs. You might even find 5 sacs in a pack. It is not a cheap ingredient, but I think you can indulge yourself on a special occasion.
Mentaiko is delicious eaten on its own and is a wonderful accompaniment to drinks, particularly Japanese sake. Simply cut the sac into small, bite-size discs. It also goes very well with rice and is a popular filling for Onigiri. As mentioned earlier, I have already introduced Mentaiko Pasta. When mentaiko is mixed with mayonnaise, it becomes an umami bomb.
Warning: Don’t confuse this with tarako. They look very similar, but it isn’t spicy—just salty (and equally tasty).
What’s in my Cream Cheese Dip with Spicy Pollock Roe (Mentai Cheese Dip)
- Mentaiko
- Cream cheese at room temperature
- Milk
- Lemon juice
- Salt & pepper
- Finely chopped green onions, as garnish (optional, not in the photo).
The sac of mentaiko is chewy, so you need to remove it. The best way to do this is to split the sac lengthwise and gently scrape the roe out with a knife. Please see the photos in my Mentaiko Pasta post showing how to remove the roe from the sac.
How to Make Cream Cheese Dip with Spicy Pollock Roe (Mentai Cheese Dip)
- Mix the cream cheese in a bowl using a small spatula until it becomes a thick paste.
- Add the milk and lemon juice and mix well.
- Add the mentaiko to the bowl and mix thoroughly, ensuring the roe is evenly distributed.
- Add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix.
- Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and top with chopped green onions if using.
It is much easier to make this dip using softened cream cheese. Leaving a block of cream cheese on the kitchen bench for 1-2 hours will soften it sufficiently. If you don’t have time, you can microwave on low power in 5-10 second intervals. Cutting the block into small pieces will also help it soften faster.
Mentai Cheese Dip has well-balanced spiciness, saltiness, and richness. The mentaiko provides umami and saltiness, while the cream cheese softens the spiciness and gives the dip a smooth texture.
It is not only a perfect dip to serve with crackers and vegetable sticks but can also be used as a spread on bread. I have not tried this yet, but I think it would be a great sauce on grilled fish or meat.
It keeps up to 2-3 days in the fridge.
Yumiko
Cream Cheese Dip with Spicy Pollock Roe is very easy to make and full of flavour from the mentaiko (spicy pollock roe). It has well-balanced spiciness, saltiness, and richness, with the mentaiko providing umami and saltiness.
Prep time does not include the time to soften the cream cheese.
- 100g / 3.5oz cream cheese (soften at room temperature, note 1)
- 2 tsp milk
- 80g / 2.8oz mentaiko , sac removed (note 2)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Salt & pepper
- Finely chopped spring onions as garnish (optional)
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Mix the cream cheese in a bowl until it becomes a thick paste.
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Add the milk and lemon juice to the bowl and mix well.
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Add the mentaiko to the bowl and mix well, ensuring the roe is evenly distributed through the cream cheese.
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Mix in a pinch of salt and pepper.
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Transfer the Mentai Cream Cheese to a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped spring onions, if using. Serve with crackers (note 3).
1. You need to soften the cream cheese, otherwise it will be very difficult to mix with the other ingredients.
Leave it on the kitchen bench for 1-2 hours.
If you don’t have time, microwave it on low power in 5-10 second intervals. Cutting the block into small pieces will also help it soften faster.
2. Please refer to my post Mentaiko Pasta, which shows how to remove the roe from the sac.
3. In addition to some crackers, vegetables sticks go very well with Mentai Cheese Dip. It can also be used as a spread on bread. I have not tried this yet, but it would also make a great sauce to put on grilled meat or fish.
4. It keeps up to 2-3 days in the fridge.
5. Nutrition per serving, shared with 8 people.
serving: 25g calories: 51kcal fat: 3.9g (6%) saturated fat: 2.4g (12%) trans fat: 0g polyunsaturated fat: 0.2g monounsaturated fat: 1.1g cholesterol: 39mg (13%) sodium: 314mg (13%) carbohydrates: 1.3g (0%) dietary fibre: 0g (0%) sugar: 1.0g protein: 3.1g vitamin a: 0.2mcg (4%) calcium: 13mg (8%) iron: 0.2mg (6%) potassium: 36mg (1%)
Your mentaiko very much reminds me of the Eastern Mediterranean bottarga or mullet roe which I have used similarly to make a spread or dip. Would love to try 🙂 ! Mine would tend to go atop one of my open Scandinavian ‘sandwiches’ served very much the way you have with green onions or herbs on the top . . . would love to taste the flavour of yours . . .
Hi Eha, there seem to be many similarities in cooking between where you came from and my homeland! Please try and let me know what you think.