Perhaps you’ve tried a classic sushi boat with salmon fish eggs in your favorite Japanese restaurant. And you found it oh so yummy but didn’t know too much about those reddish cylindrical things on top.

Well, here’s the story. Fish eggs are called caviar or roe depending on what female fish they come from. Perhaps for their higher nutritional value, for their taste, or for cultural reasons, fish eggs from sturgeon (caviar) are valued at $100 an ounce compared with fish eggs from trout, salmon, whitefish, carp, or shellfish (roe), which are sold for approximately $10 an ounce.

Regardless of your cash flow, roe are still great nutritional choices. Here’s why.

Protein

You need protein to build muscle strength, keep your body cells healthy, and deliver energy. One tablespoon of fish eggs provides between two and seven grams of protein. (To determine your necessary daily amount of protein, multiply your body weight times 0.36 grams).

Fats

Fish eggs contain good omega 3’s, which are heart healthy; they have more than anchovies and less than herring and sardines. 

Carbs

Fish eggs are low in carbohydrates. They have no significant fiber or sugar.

Here is Where Fish Eggs Shine:

Vitamins & Minerals

They are a good source of vitamin B12, which helps maintain a healthy metabolism and heart. This vitamin is also important for the central nervous system and DNA synthesis.

Fish eggs contain choline, which supports healthy fat and cholesterol transport in your body and supports cognitive function.

They also contain magnesium and selenium. They both combine with proteins in your body to form antioxidants, which protect your cells from damage from free radicals and from infection.

Magnesium is a co-factor in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body. Aside from protein synthesis, it regulates muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure.

Selenium is important for reproduction, thyroid gland function, and DNA production.

In addition, fish eggs also contain other important nutrients, such as sodium, which your body requires to conduct nerve impulses, contract, and relax muscles, and maintain the proper balance of water and minerals.

Phosphorous in fish eggs and creates strong bones and teeth. Vitamin D regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorous and facilitates normal immune function.

Fish eggs provide vitamin A, which you need for health vision, and immune and organ system health.

Lastly, fish eggs are a good source of vitamin C, which protects your immune system, heart, and eyes.

You can try fish eggs at home on slices of cucumber, on a blini (a small pancake), or on toast. It is recommended that you keep them in the coldest part of your fridge, and discard (if you have any left) after two to three days of opening the container. Also, you may want to use a “pearl” caviar spoon, or a plastic or wood spoon to scoop or eat your fish eggs, as they can pick up a metal taste.