Roe and Roe Gastronomy

Roe can be eggs from sturgeon, but roe are much more than caviar. This book therefore also covers the roe we call kaviar from other fish species such as flatfish, cod, mullet, haddock, capelin, and herring, as well as from crabs, prawns, lobsters, and cephalopods. It also discusses caviar substitutes made from fish meat and seaweed.

The book provides a popular description of what roe are and how we can use them in our cooking in a sustainable way that respects nature and focuses on taste and texture, especially in a plant-forward cuisine. Roe contains good nutrients and has umami taste as well as a crunchy or creamy texture. Roe can therefore be used as a tasty ingredient and accompaniment to many different dishes.

As a food, roe have a variety of uses from everyday popular dishes such as cod roe, to popular seasonal delicacies like lumpfish roe, to sought-after and expensive gastronomic delicacies like caviar. Roe come in a wide variety of colours, sizes, flavours, and textures and, as such, can find their way onto our plates in multiple ways.

The book illustrates the different uses of many types of roe in both classic and reinterpreted dishes, as well as completely novel preparations. It is the result of a collaboration between a chef and a scientist, who have joined forces in the kitchen to learn more about roe by tasting, experimenting, and combining curiosity and knowledge with good culinary craftsmanship. The book is aimed at a wide audience interested in food.

“…blurb to come…”

Harold McGee, author of On Food & Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen and Keys to Good Cooking

Ole G. Mouritsen, PhD, DSc, d.h.c., is a professor emeritus of gastrophysics and culinary food innovation at the University of Copenhagen. He is president of the Danish Gastronomical Academy and Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador.

Klavs Styrbæk is a chef and leader of the gastronomic enterprise STYRBÆKS, which includes a gourmet restaurant, a cooking school, a catering service, and a product development branch.

Ole G. Mouritsen PhD DSc dr.h.c. FRS-DK is a research scientist and professor emeritus of gastrophysics and culinary food innovation at the University of Copenhagen. His work focuses on basic sciences and their applications within the fields of biotechnology, biomedicine, food, and taste. He is the recipient of numerous prizes for his work and for research communication. His extensive list of publications includes several monographs, many of them co-authored with Mouritsen & Styrbæk: Roe: Much More Than Caviar 5

Klavs Styrbæk, which integrate scientific insights with culinary perspectives and have been nominated three times for Gourmand Best in the World Awards. Currently, Ole is president of The Danish Gastronomical Academy and founder and past director of the National Danish Taste Center Taste for Life. For many years, Ole has been fascinated with the Japanese culinary arts and in illuminating the extent to which its techniques and taste elements can be adapted for the Western kitchen. In recognition of his efforts, he was appointed in 2016 as a Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, and in 2017 the Japanese Emperor bestowed upon him The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, Kyokujitsu chujusho 旭日中綬.

Klavs Styrbæk is a professional chef who owns and operates STYRBÆKS together with his wife, Pia. By combining a high standard of craftsmanship, sparked by curiosity-driven enthusiasm, he has created a gourmet center where the quality of the food and enjoyment of it are consistently excellent and where people can come to learn and take their culinary skills to a whole new level. Klavs is particularly enthusiastic about seeking out unique, local raw ingredients that are incorporated into new taste adventures or used to revisit traditional Danish recipes that might otherwise be forgotten. This delicate balance between innovation and renewal is demonstrated in his award-winning cookbook Mormors mad (Grandmother’s Food) (2006), which was honored with a special jury prize at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2007. In 2008 and 2019 he was awarded an honors diploma for excellence in the culinary arts by the Danish Gastronomical Academy. Many of the recipes that appear in the books co-authored with Ole originated in the test-kitchens at STYRBÆKS.

Jonas Drotner Mouritsen is a graphic designer and owner of the design company Chromascope that specializes in graphic design, animation, and film production. His movie projects have won several international awards. In addition, he has been responsible for layout, photography, and design of several books about food, some of which have been nominated for Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.