Messolonghi Avgotaracho

Avgotaracho is the Greek bottarga, made only from the roe sacs of grey mullet caught in the Messolonghi lagoon, and it holds protected designation of origin status. Production is unchanged in essentials for centuries: the roe is removed whole in autumn, salted, pressed and dried in the air for days, then sealed in melted natural beeswax, which preserves it and gives the finished amber block its distinctive coat. The result is dense, intensely savoury and faintly bitter, served in thin slices with a drop of oil or grated over pasta, and it is expensive, a hundred euros a kilogram or more, because the yield from each fish is small. A handful of family firms around the lagoon still make it, and several receive visitors during the autumn season.

What you actually see

• The autumn processing - salting, pressing and drying of the roe.
• The beeswax sealing - blocks dipped and coated by hand.
• The lagoon fishery - the traps that supply the mullet.
• The town shops - producers selling whole and sliced avgotaracho.

When to go

September to November, when the mullet run and production is under way; shops sell year-round. Producer visits need arranging in advance, as these are small family workshops rather than tourist sites.

Honest expectations

It is a strong, salty, expensive product and not to everyone's taste; buy a small piece first. Imitations from other regions exist, so check the PDO label. Workshops are working premises with limited English and no visitor infrastructure.

Nearby

The lagoon and its stilt huts surround the town; Aitoliko is north along the water.