Avgotaracho Messolongiou

Avgotaracho Messolongiou is the whole, salted, wax-encased roe of the grey mullet species Mugil cephalus, caught and processed within a defined zone of the Messolonghi lagoon system in the Etoloakarnania prefecture of western Greece. The fish must be taken from the designated hatcheries, and processing is carried out locally.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO on 2 July 1996 under file number PDO-GR-0446 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013253), Avgotaracho Messolongiou — also registered under its Greek name Αυγοτάραχο Μεσολογγίου — is a fish-based product consisting of whole roes of the Mugil cephalus species. The specification requires that the mullet be caught within the fish hatcheries of the Messolonghi and Etolikos municipalities and the Neohori commune in Messolonghi province, within the Etoloakarnania prefecture. No other source of roe is permitted under the designation. Production must also be carried out locally within the defined area. The method of production as stated in the specification is: the roes are washed, salted, dried, and enclosed in natural wax. The applicant group on record is the Mesolongi Municipality. The inspection structure named in the specification is Fishery Supervision, Messolongi, located at Themeli 6, 30200 Messolongi. The specification notes travellers' references to production in the area going back as far as 1668, establishing a documented historical link between the product and its geographical origin. Labelling under the designation includes the PDO designation and the name, together with an individual product code.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 28, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 2 July 1996 under file number PDO-GR-0446, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013253.
• The specification permits only whole roes of the Mugil cephalus species caught within the designated Messolonghi lagoon hatcheries.
• Processing — washing, salting, drying, and encasing in natural wax — must be carried out locally within the defined geographical area.
• Travellers' references to production in the Messolonghi area are cited in the specification as going back as far as 1668.

Tasting notes

Western-Greek (Aetolia-Acarnania) Mesolonghi salt-cured grey-mullet roe POP — Greek bottarga. Distinctive amber-orange compressed roe, dense waxy texture, intensely savory umami-sea flavor with characteristic dried-fish complexity. Among Mediterranean's most prestigious cured-roe products.

HoReCa use

**Premium Greek mezze centerpiece** — sliced very thin, drizzled with EVOO and lemon; grated on pasta and risotto; in mezze boards; pairs with ouzo and tsipouro.

Packaging

• whole-piece-vacuum-150-300g
• half-piece-vacuum-100g
• sliced-vacuum-50g
• gift-wax-coated-150g