Meanings
- JapaneseuncountablecuisineSynonym of red caviar.
Cut the roll in half and then slice each half into 4 even pieces. Top each piece with a drop of ikura.
2015, Oyamada Yasuto, “Grouper Tempura Roll”, in Sushi Specials: More than 50 Recipes for the Perfect Presentation, Watertown, Mass.: Imagine, Charlesbridge, →ISBN, “Special Fusion Rolls” section, page 602 more examples
About 20 years ago, a few people, mostly children, got food poisoning after eating ikura, and markets all over Japan pulled ikura from the shelves.
2005, Dave Lowry, “Ikura: Salmon Roe”, in The Connoisseur’s Guide to Sushi: Everything You Need to Know About Sushi Varieties and Accompaniments, Etiquette and Dining Tips, and More, Boston, Mass.: The Harvard Common Press, →ISBN, part II (Fish and Other Toppings: An A-to-Z Guide), page 102This focus on fresh roe has had a mixed effect on the ikura makers, with the greatest benefit seen in the reduced supply of roe available for the production of ikura. Even with the possibility of an overall reduction in the supply of marinated ikura, the biggest problem for the makers is the retailer marketing strategy.
2006, Bill Atkinson, “Salmon”, in Pacific Fishing, volume XXVII, Seattle, Wash.: Pacific Fishing Partnership, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 15, column 1Synonyms: red caviar
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of red caviar.
Origin
- Japaneseイクラ
- Englishikura
From Japanese イクラ (ikura). Doublet of ikra.
More words from Japanese
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
ikura. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ikura
“ikura.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ikura. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ikura,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ikura.
Source: ikura on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.