what is milt

Milt is the seminal fluid of fish, mollusks, and certain other water-dwelling animals which reproduce by spraying this fluid, which contains the sperm, onto roe (fish eggs). It can also refer to the sperm sacs or testes that contain the semen. Milt is used as food in many cultures, often fried, though not usually as a dish by itself. In Indonesian cuisine, the milt of snakehead and snapper is usually made into kari or woku. In Russian cuisine, herring milt is pickled the same way as the rest of the fish, but eaten separately, sometimes combined with pickled herring roe. Various whitefish soft roes are usually consumed fried and it is an inexpensive everyday dish. In Sicilian cuisine, the milt of tuna is called "Lattume" and is used as a typical pasta topping. In British cuisine, cod soft roes are a traditional dish, usually fried in. Milt was once considered a waste product and was thrown out, but humans learned how to extract the sperm, wash it, and cook it until solid. The Japanese have been eating milt for so long it is now considered a traditional food, and milt, along with bottarga (dried and salted ovaries of tuna fish) are highly valued Italian foods which are sought after for their unique origin and flavor.