Roe is the fully ripe egg masses of fish and certain marine animals, such as sea urchins and shrimp. As a seafood it is used both as a cooked ingredient in many dishes and as a raw ingredient.

Caviar is the name for sturgeon roe consumed as a delicacy.

Soft Roe, also called white roe is the male reproductive glands and their contents.

Roe's use around the world

Japan
A variety of roe types are used in Japanese cuisine, including the following which are used raw in sushi:

• Ikura ( いくら) - Salmon roe. Large reddish-orange individual spheres. Since salmon eggs are also used as bait, first-time sushi eaters who have experienced fishing may be taken aback when served Ikura.
• Kazunoko ( 数の子/ 鯑) - Herring roe, yellow or pinkish, having a firm, rubbery texture and appearance, usually pickled. The roe is in a single cohesive mass and so looks like a piece of fish.
• Mentaiko ( 明太子) - Alaska pollock roe, spiced with powdered red pepper and surrounded by a thin, elastic membrane. Mentaiko is usually pink to dark red.
• Tarako ( たらこ) - Salted Alaska pollock roe, often grilled.
• Tobiko ( 飛び子) - Flyingfish roe, very crunchy, reddish orange in color.
• Uni ( うに, 雲丹) - Sea urchin roe, soft and melting. Color ranges from orange to pale yellow. Humans consume the reproductive organs ("roe") either raw or briefly cooked. Sea urchin roe is a popular food in Korean cuisine, and it is called "uni" in Japanese sushi cuisine. It is also a traditional food in Chile, known as an "erizo". Apart from domestic consumption, Chile and a number of other countries export the sea urchin to Japan in order to meet its demand throughout the country. Traditionally considered an aphrodisiac, sea urchin roe has been found to contain the cannabinoid anandamide.
• Karasumi ( カラスミ, 鱲子) - is a specialty of Nagasaki and along with salt-pickled sea urchin roe and Konowata one of the three chinmi of Japan . It is made by desalinating salt pickled mullet roe and drying it by the sunlight.

Denmark

Lumpfish (stenbider) roe is used extensively in Danish cuisine, on top of halved or sliced hard-boiled eggs, on top of mounds of shrimp, or in combination with other fish or seafood. Another commonly eaten roe is that from the cod (torsk).

Turkey
Tarama is a Turkish meze which uses roe as the main ingredient. The other ingredients may vary but most commonly used are olive oil, garlic, tomato paste, ground walnuts,

and ground red pepper. As is the case with all kinds of meze, tarama is usually eaten along with Turkish spirit Rakı.

Greece
Taramasalata is a well-known Greek dish. It consists of roe with lemon juice, bread crumbs, onions, garlic, and olive oil, and eaten as a dip.

Italy
Bottarga is the salted and dried roe pouch of Gray Mullet, used as a topping and for dressing pasta.

Iran
In Caspian provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran, several types of roe are used. Called Ashpal or Ashbal, roe can be consumed grilled, cured, salted, or mixed with other ingredients. If salted or cured, it is consumed as a condiment. If used fresh, it is usually grilled, steamed, or mixed with eggs and fried to form a custard-like dish called "Ashpal Kuku".

Besides the much sought-after caviar, roe from Kutum (also known as Caspian White Fish or Rutilus Frisii Kutum), Roach (called "Kuli" in Gileki), Bream (called "Kulmeh" in Gileki), and Caspian Salmon are highly prized. Roe from Carp is less common and Barbel roe is also occasionally used.

West Bengal and Bangladesh
Roe from the Hilsa fish is considered a superb delicacy in West Bengal and Bangladesh. The roe is usually deep-fried, although other preparations such as mashed roe where the roe crushed along with oil, onion & pepper, or curry of roe could also be found. Among the tribal populace, deeply-roasted roe in open fire (much like marshmallows) is a delicacy. However, the fish which carries roe becomes less tasty compared to the others. In this region, the roe of rohu is also considered a delicacy and is eaten fried or as a stuffing within a fried pointed gourd to make potoler dolma.

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