What are the little bright orange balls on top of sushi?

Tobiko is the Japanese word for flying fish roe, which is the eggs of the flying fish. It has a slightly salty, crunchy texture and a bright orange color.

While it's the most common, there are other possibilities:

* Masago: Masago is the roe of the capelin fish, which is a small, silvery fish found in the North Atlantic. It's often used as a substitute for tobiko, as it has a similar appearance and texture.

* Ikura: Ikura is the Japanese word for salmon roe. It is much larger than tobiko and masago and has a richer flavor.

* Orange-colored fish eggs: Some chefs may use other types of fish eggs, such as cod roe or smelt roe, for their sushi, but these are less common than tobiko and masago.

If you're not sure what kind of roe you're eating, you can always ask your sushi chef. They'll be happy to tell you!