Tarama (or taramasalata) is a Greek dip. It can be served as a sauce, a dressing, or as one of the main mezze — an array of light appetizers.

Tarama is always about a mix of yogurt and fish roe. Additions can be made based on taste and availability. What I like about it is that it’s a simple way to incorporate fish roe into the diet. Traditionally, I use pollock roe. Today, with @easyfish.alaskaseafood, we're making it with pollock roe. In just 15g of roe, there’s more than twice the daily recommended intake of calcium and the full daily dose of Omega-3 fatty acids — up to 800 mg, including 1,080 mg of DHA fatty acids.

Fish by-products are an incredibly nutritious food, and roe is practically a superfood. Two tablespoons of roe already contain about 250% of the daily requirement of vitamin B12, which is essential for the nervous system, and 30–50 mg of selenium, a powerful antioxidant that supports thyroid function and helps combat environmental stress.

In this recipe, I replaced traditional yogurt with a plant-based alternative. Dairy isn’t well tolerated by everyone. Besides lactose intolerance, dairy proteins also have a strong insulin-like growth factor effect in the body. If you have concerns about gut health or skin quality, it may be better to eliminate dairy for a period of time.

Taramasalata made with cashew or soy-based yogurt is lighter, just as nutritious and flavorful, and suitable for plant-based recipes on days when fish products are permitted.