ottarga, or salted mullet roe, is one of the most ancient processed foods. The Egyptians considered it a delicacy and as many as 5000 years ago they conserved mullet roe in paraffin. Bottarga jars have been found in the pyramids with their contents pretty much intact.
Bottarga is made from the roe pouch of mullet, tuna or swordfish. In Italy it is produced mainly in Sardinia (the Bottarga from Cabras is well known), in Orbetello (Tuscany’s Maremma coastal region), in Sicily (Milazzo and Trapani), and in Calabria.
Similar specialties are produced also in other parts of the Mediterranean:"batarekh" in Egypt and "poutargue" in Provence. It is perhaps for this reason that Bottarga is nicknamed the "Caviar of the Mediterranean." It appears that the Phoenicians were the first to produce Bottarga. But the name itself comes from Arabic: "butarikh," meaning salted roe.
Bottarga preparation is very simple and artisanal. The pouches with the mullet roe are kept in brine from 8 to 20 hours, depending on their size. They are then salted on all sides, tied with string and placed on a plank. A weight is then placed on them for 40 days during which they will be salted every day. The weight and the salt squeezes all the blood and the liquids from the roe. In the next phase, the pouches, which by then have taken an oblong shape and have a thickness of about 1.5 to 2 inches, are tied lengthwise and hung to dry for another 30 to 40 days, depending on their weight.
Bottarga used tobe the staple food of fishermen because it kept so well and could be taken on long fishing trips.