Constant Content

Hi writers,

When you're writing about caviar, please note that "roe" is an uncountable or a collective noun and therefore requires a singular verb. Think of it like a synonym for "caviar."

Roe is taken from fish.
Caviar is great on black bread.
What she thought was marmalade was actually orange fish roe, and it was salty rather than sweet.

These words can be pluralized if you need to discuss different types.

Roes from different fish offer different flavors and textures.
A range of caviars can be purchased online.

Thanks,
Ed

To continue the ongoing row about roe, I'd like to make a few other points.

When researching your topic, you may come across conflicting information. In this situation it helps to take a survey of various respected sources in order to determine if there is a standard that is most broadly accepted.

For example, Saveur, an online and print publication about food and wine, offers this example:
The ROE IS worked through a finer screen, rinsed, then salted. Notice how the word takes a singular verb? (http://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/Making-Caviar)

Other sources, even academic ones, use the "roe is/has" construction, although some cases of "roe are/have" occur. Most instances of "roe are/have" occur after "types of" (as in "types of roe are") or when different roes are being discussed. For example:
Beluga, paddlefish, and salmon roe are . . .

Given the information collected from a survey of various publications, it is most safe to use "roe" with a singular verb.
Roe is
Roe has

If you try to use a construction that isn't widely accepted or intelligible, you risk conveying the message that you are unqualified to write about the topic.

Thanks,
Ed