Scoop Up Fish Eggs With Potato Chips For The Perfect Snack

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I love a tortilla chips and guac situation, but your chip game shouldn’t end there. If you’re looking for an alternate snack or a quick appetizer for your next get-together, you may want to consider the fun and not-totally-expected combination of potato chips and fish eggs. The juxtaposition of an everyday, low-key ingredient like potato chips with the slightly fancier feel of fish eggs makes for a high-low snack pairing that’s both delicious and visually appealing. The saltiness of the potato chips works well with the seafood-forward flavors of the eggs, and that pop of eggs on your tongue makes for a texturally enjoyable treat.

Whether you’re preparing a plate of potato chips and fish eggs for your next dinner party or you’re just looking for a way to switch up your afternoon snack routine, these tips will help ensure successful snacking.

The Chips

First, you’ll want to pick out a bag of potato chips. Some types of chips work better than others. For example, even though kettle chips are one of my personal faves, they don’t work especially well for pairing with fish eggs. These chips tend to be thickly cut and ultra crispy, and that texture can completely overwhelm the eggs.

Rather, you’ll want to opt for a lighter, thinner potato chip. Lay’s is a good option, since the potatoes are very thinly sliced, giving the chips a light crisp instead of an intense crunch. Pringles are another solid option, as their mild flavor profile won’t compete too much with the fish eggs you use. If you ask me, though, wavy potato chips like Ruffles are perfect because they’re both substantial enough to scoop and feature an interesting textural element that plays well with the smooth and buttery quality of fish eggs.

The Fish Eggs

Finding the right bag of chips is easy, but when it comes to the fish eggs themselves? That can be a bit more challenging. If you live in a big city, you’ll likely be able to find a variety of fish eggs at a local fishmonger or even at a higher-end grocery store or Asian market. If you can’t find a nearby store that stocks them, though, you can always purchase fish eggs online and get them shipped to your house. Now, let’s look at some of the different varieties you can choose from.

Caviar: You may see a variety of different types of fish eggs called “caviar,” but technically, caviar only comes from fish that belong to the Acipenseriformes order, including sturgeon. Make sure you’re paying attention to what kind of fish the eggs came from if you care about getting authentic caviar.

Caviar is perhaps the most classic type of fish egg for potato chip pairing, but caviar tends to be quite expensive, so it’s not a good option for most snackers on a budget. Although caviar can feel fun and fancy to serve at a party, I don’t really think it’s worth it to seek out genuine caviar for this purpose. Since potato chips are so salty, they can sort of mask the flavor of already-salty caviar, so it’s not technically the best pairing. Try it out if you have the extra cash, but if you ask me, there are better budget-friendly fish egg options out there to choose from.

Salmon Roe: If you really love the sensation of fish eggs popping in your mouth, then salmon roe might just be the way to go. These fish eggs are larger than most, so they create a unique textural experience that’s rich, gooey and viscerally pleasurable. Although the texture is very different from that of adult fish, salmon roe has a flavor that’s very similar to raw salmon, so it’s approachable for those who may be reluctant to try fish eggs. If you choose to use salmon roe, consider opting for a thicker, more substantial type of potato chip.

Wasabi Tobiko: Flying fish roe is known as tobiko, and it’s a popular sushi ingredient you may have encountered before. These fish eggs are smaller in size, and although they still pop in your mouth, they’re crunchier and can feel less rich than salmon roe. Plain tobiko is a good option for pairing with potato chips, and it tends to be pretty widely available, especially if you have access to an Asian market. However, if you want a bit of extra flavor—and a bright pop of color on your table—try wasabi tobiko. It’s tobiko that, as the name suggests, is infused with wasabi extract (among other ingredients), and it’s bright green in color, making for an especially beautiful dip for your chips.

Masago: Masago is the eggs of the smelt fish, and these eggs are particularly fine. Masago is crunchy and relatively mild in flavor, making it approachable for those who are intimidated by fish eggs that look more like, well, fish eggs. It’s salty and milder than tobiko, and the texture is lighter and more delicate than eggs from other types of fish.

Vegan Seaweed Caviar: Just because you don’t eat fish doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in potato chips and “fish eggs.” There are several brands that sell vegan “caviar,” often made from seaweed to imitate the ocean-y flavor of fish eggs. Does vegan caviar taste exactly like the real thing? Maybe not, but the flavor profile and texture is similar enough that most people who don’t eat fish eggs on a regular basis probably won’t be able to tell a significant difference between the two. Give it a try if you’re looking for a more sustainable option.

Samantha Maxwell is a food writer and editor based in Boston. Follow her on Twitter at @samseating.