As a child, I was always intrigued by anything that was wrapped in colorful containers or fancy papers.
Such objects usually hid some sort of a present inside.
I felt a similar sensation years later when somebody handed me a tubular object wrapped in soft, pure beeswax. It was the best (edible) thing I have so far unwrapped in the adult world of gifts: a bar of traditional Avgotaraho Messolonghiou.

A traditional fish roe delicacy, Avgotaraho is Greece’s answer to caviar. It is produced from the eggs of the female flathead mullet indigenous to Greek lagoons.
In Greece we call these fish ‘kefalos’ or ‘bafa’. Somewhat similar – and perhaps more well-known – products are made in other countries. While Japan makes a version called Karasumi, most other examples come from Mediterranean countries and include bottarga (Italian), boutarque (French), botarga (Spanish) and batarekh (Arabic). Interestingly enough, the root of each of these names can be traced back to the Byzantine Greek word ᾠοτάριχον (ᾠóᾠóν meaning 'egg' + τάριχον meaning ‘pickled fish’) which reads phonetically ‘otarihon’. The modern Greek name replaces older ᾠóᾠóν with the more commonly used αυγό (egg).

Although Avgotaraho is often referred to as being identical to its Mediterranean cousins, there are quite a few differences that attest to its uniqueness. For one, it is never produced from tuna fish roe. Furthermore, it is not sold in blocks but is pressed into wooden molds and let to dry, then dipped into beeswax to preserve. More importantly, Avgotaraho is actually one of the most distinguished Greek delicacies, noted not only for its subtle taste and aroma but also for its indigenous fish roe, unique production process and high nutritive value.

Avgotaraho is produced from mullet caught in Greek lagoons, preferably after mid August. It has a characteristic spicy flavor that can be attributed to the flora and fauna of the sea lake. The best known variant comes from one of the most important Mediterranean lagoons, the Messolonghi-Etoliko Lagoon, located in the central west coast of Greece. Avgotaraho is an
acknowledged regional specialty and one of the very few products certified with the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) seal in the category of fresh fish, mollusks and crustaceans and products derived from them.

The production process has not changed much from the traditional technique passed from generation to generation. It requires patience, craftsmanship and the kind assistance of nature. Once the fish is caught, the whole, mature ovaries are removed from the fish, washed with water, salted with natural sea salt, put to casts and are then are air-dried under controlled conditions. One important difference that distinguishes Greek Avgotaraho from its cousins is that the mullet roe is sealed in approximately eight layers of melted beeswax. The beeswax provides a natural way of shielding the product from oxidation while allowing it to keep its humidity. The beeswax also helps preserve the nutritive qualities of the ingredients of the roe. Compared to similar Italian, Japanese, etc. products waxed Avgotaraho preserves its nutritive properties better. When a raw material like fish roe is processed it loses a considerable amount of its nutritive value. However, tests have shown that Avgotaraho has almost the exact amount of nutritive value as the fresh fish roe.