Mentaiko

Mentaiko (明太子^?) is the marinated roe of pollock, and is a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine.

Mentaiko originated from myeongran jeot (명란젓) of Korean cuisine^[1] and was introduced to Japan after the Russo-Japanese War. Toshio Kawahara (川原 俊夫 Kawahara Toshio^?), a Busan-born Japanese, adapted Korean mentaiko to Japanese tastes in Fukuoka in the 1950s. The name is derived from the Korean word for Alaskan pollock (mentai, 명태 : myeongtae in Korean) and the Japanese word for"child" (子 ko^?).

The typical seasoning and flavor is slightly different in Japan.
 
Mentaiko is made in a variety of flavors and colors and is available at airports and main train stations. It is usually eaten with onigiri, but is also enjoyed by itself with sake. A common variety is spicy mentaiko (辛子明太子 karashi mentaiko^?). It is a product of the Hakata ward of Fukuoka City.

Japanese style mentaiko was nominated as Japan's number one side dish in the Japanese weekly magazine, Shūkan Bunshun.^[2]


O-nigiri (お握り or 御握り; おにぎり^?), also known as o-musubi (お結び; おむすび^?) or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shapes and often wrapped in nori (seaweed).
Fukuoka city (福岡市 Fukuoka-shi^?) is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.