Capelin fish (Mallotus villosus, also known as caplin fish) are a small species and member of the smelt family, whose range extends throughout the far Northern Hemisphere’s oceanic waters. They are foragers and typically feed by grazing on plankton, krill swarms, and other small crustaceans. Capelin populations engage in sizable seasonal migrations, going south in the winter and spring towards the coasts in order to spawn and north in the summer and autumn to their feeding grounds at the peak of their productivity, near the Arctic ice shelves.

Thanks to their prodigal reproductive rates, capelin are abundant throughout their range. Their svelte, slender bodies make them desirable snacks to predatory fishes, cetaceans, seals, squids, and seabirds, forming the basis of a food chain that allows many such larger species to flourish (particularly cod, which are extensively dependent on the capelin as a food source). They are also commercially fished, largely in pursuit of fishmeal production but also for their desirable roe.

Capelin roe is commonly known as Masago and is slightly smaller and softer than flying fish roe, itself most widely known as Tobiko. Masago possesses a remarkably similar flavor profile to that of Tobiko, and due to the capelin’s widespread availability and resulting lower cost, it’s often considered an adequate substitute for Tobiko as a garnish or main ingredient in popular Japanese dishes, such as sashimi, sushi rolls, crab cakes, salmon fillets, and other seafood. Available in seven different wild-caught varieties (natural, orange, wasabi, red, golden, black, and ginger), these striking pearls will perfectly serve as a beautiful addition to authentic homemade sushi and canapés.