Lumpfish Caviar substitute

Best substitute

Capelin Roe (Masago)

Use the same amount by volume as the lumpfish caviar you are replacing

Best for canapes

Close match

The best substitute for lumpfish caviar is capelin roe, sold as masago, measure for measure, or tobiko if you want more crunch. If your recipe simply says caviar and you are not spending sturgeon money, lumpfish, capelin or bleak roe is what you actually want, and none of them pretends otherwise.

Other lumpfish caviar substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe)
Different texture
Use the same amount by volume
Firm, glassy beads with a genuine snap, available in black, orange, red and green.
What changes
Best for
canapes, blini, Skagen toast, sushi, deviled eggs
Crunchier than lumpfish roe, with a mild sweet-smoky flavour rather than a plain salty brine, and it looks superb because the beads stay separate and glossy. Costs a little more and is worth it on a party platter.
3Bleak Roe (Lojrom) or Trout Roe
Different texture
Use the same amount for lojrom; use about two thirds the volume for trout roe
Lojrom is the Swedish premium version of exactly this idea, and it is the roe traditionally served on Skagen and with vasterbottenspaj.
What changes
Best for
Skagen toast, canapes, vasterbottenspaj, blini, potato dishes
Lojrom is cleaner, golden-orange and less salty than jarred lumpfish, and considerably more expensive. Trout roe has much larger beads that burst rather than pop, which reads as luxury but dominates a small canape, hence the smaller quantity.
4Salmon Roe (Ikura)
Taste and texture differ
Use about half the volume
Big, glossy, orange beads that make a canape look like a restaurant dish.
What changes
Best for
canapes, blini, smorrebrod, egg dishes
Each bead is a mouthful of rich, oily brine rather than a small salty pop, so the effect is completely different and much more assertive. Use half as much or it overwhelms both the plate and the palate, and expect it to visually dominate anything small.
5Anchovy Paste + Black Sesame Seeds
Taste and texture differ
Use 1 tsp anchovy paste plus 1 tsp black sesame for every 1 tbsp roe
The no-roe fix that keeps both the salt and the dark speckled look on a canape.
What changes
Best for
canapes, egg dishes, dips, potato salads
Honest about what it is: a salt-and-appearance stand-in, not a texture one. There is no pop at all, and the flavour is far more fishy and savoury, so use less than you think and taste as you go.
6Black Olive Tapenade or Finely Chopped Nori
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount by volume, dotted rather than spread
The vegetarian option, with the right colour and the right salt hit.
What changes
Best for
vegetarian canapes, blini, egg dishes, crostini
Right colour, right salinity, completely different texture, so this only works where the roe was mostly decorative. Tapenade is also more acidic and olive-forward, which is good on crostini and odd on creme fraiche.

What is Lumpfish Caviar?

Lumpfish Caviar is small, firm lumpfish roe dyed black or red and sold in little jars, the inexpensive Nordic roe used to top canapes, blini and Skagen toast rather than true sturgeon caviar.

Cooking tips

Jarred lumpfish roe is dyed and the dye bleeds, so rinse it gently in a fine sieve and drain it on kitchen paper before use, or it will streak grey through creme fraiche, egg and potato.
Add roe at the last possible second and never stir it into anything warm. Heat turns the beads chalky and disperses the salt, so a Skagen mix or an egg salad should be finished and chilled before the roe goes on.
Roe is traditionally served with a bone, horn or plastic spoon rather than a metal one. It costs nothing to follow the convention and it looks right on the table.
It is very salty, so taste the base before seasoning. Skagen mix, egg salad and potato salad all need less salt than usual when roe is going on top.
A tablespoon per person is plenty as a garnish. Roe is a punctuation mark rather than a layer, and piling it on flattens everything underneath.
Keep the jar cold and use it within a few days of opening. Once the seal is broken it deteriorates quickly and starts to taste tinny.

Frequently asked questions

Is lumpfish caviar real caviar?

Strictly speaking no. The word caviar properly refers to salted sturgeon roe, and lumpfish roe is a different, far cheaper fish, usually dyed black to look the part. It is sold honestly as lumpfish caviar or lumpfish roe, and it does the same job on a canape at a tiny fraction of the price.

What is the cheapest substitute for caviar?

Lumpfish roe itself is one of the cheapest, along with capelin roe sold as masago. Both give you the salt, the visual pop and the little burst of brine that a canape or a blini needs. If a recipe says caviar and you are not buying sturgeon, these are what it means in practice, and there is no shame in it.

Can I just leave the caviar off?

Usually yes, since it is a garnish rather than a structural ingredient. But it is supplying salt and a visual focal point, so add a pinch of flaky salt and something with contrast such as finely chopped chives, dill or black sesame. On Skagen toast or blini, a garnish of some kind is what stops the dish looking unfinished.

Why does my lumpfish caviar turn everything grey?

Because it is dyed and the dye is water-soluble. Tip the roe into a fine sieve, rinse gently under cold water until the water runs clear, and drain it on kitchen paper. Then spoon it on at the last moment rather than stirring it in, and creme fraiche and egg will stay white.

What is the best caviar substitute for blini or Skagen toast?

Capelin roe (masago) for value, tobiko if you want a satisfying crunch and a striking look, or bleak roe (lojrom) if you want the genuinely traditional Swedish choice and do not mind paying for it. All three go on measure for measure with lumpfish roe, with creme fraiche and chopped dill underneath.

Related substitutes

More seafood substitutes

Lumpfish Caviar substitute

Other lumpfish caviar substitutes

2Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe)

3Bleak Roe (Lojrom) or Trout Roe

4Salmon Roe (Ikura)

5Anchovy Paste + Black Sesame Seeds

6Black Olive Tapenade or Finely Chopped Nori