also: すずこ
noun
salted salmon roe (in the skein)
Refers to salmon eggs that are still in the intact ovary membrane and salted. Contrasts with イクラ, which are the individual eggs separated from the skein.
See also: イクラ
朝ごはんに筋子をのせたご飯を食べた。
I had rice topped with salted salmon roe for breakfast.
This salted salmon roe is delicious with a strong salty taste.
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially in recipes and casual contexts.
イクラ refers to individual salmon eggs separated from the skein, often marinated in soy sauce, while 筋子 is the whole salted ovary sac.
The kanji 筋 (すじ) means 'line' or 'muscle', and 子 (こ) means 'child' or 'egg', referring to the eggs still connected in the skein. The reading すずこ is a dialectal variant.