What is taramasalata?

Taramasalata is a Greek fish roe salad, also known as tarama dip, usually made during Lent, the Christian period of grief and fasting that ends with the Christian holiday, Easter.

It is made from tarama, the salted and cured roe of cod, carp, or grey mullet mixed with olive oil, lemon juice, and a starchy base of bread or potatoes and sometimes almonds. Variants may include garlic, spring onions, or peppers, or vinegar instead of lemon juice. While not traditionally Greek, smoked rather than cured cod's roe is more widely available in some places, and often used.

It is typically used as a dip and scooped with bread, crackers or raw vegetables. It is rarely served outside the Lenten period which lasts from Ash Wednesday to the evening of Holy Saturday, the night before Easter.