Uni or Sea Urchin

Fast Lane Definition

Sea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm phylum. They inhabit all oceans. Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny, typically from 3 to 10 centimetres (1.2 to 3.9 in) across. Common colors include black and dull shades of green, olive, brown, purple, and red. They move slowly, feeding mostly on algae. Sea otters, wolf eels, trigger-fish, and other predators feed on them. Their "roe" (actually the gonads) is a delicacy in many cuisines.

The name urchin is an old name for the round spiny hedgehogs that sea urchins resemble.

Culinary Quote Du Jour

"Do not overcook this dish. Most seafoods...should be simply threatened with heat and then celebrated with joy."
Jeff Smith (The Frugal Gourmet)

 Wow can you imagine eating something that resembles your grandmother's pin-cushion? Called "whore's eggs" by Maine fishermen since colonial days this; referring to the whole animal, they would steal bait from lobster traps and inflict nasty foot wounds on anyone unlucky enough step on them.   Considered a delicacy in Japan, Uni usually consumed as sushi or sashimi, Uni  can fetch up to $450.00 a kilogram.  A little wasabi and soy sauce and you won't taste much?  A crime to some who's favorite way to eat  Sea Urchin is to scoop it out of its shell, after dispatching, with a squeeze of lemon juice.   Eating the yellow egg sacs of the female Sea Urchin seem a bit risque to some, I believe this seafood suffers from an approachability issue. Mediterranean chef's have long cooked with Sea Urchin by offering it in omelets, scrambled eggs and paired with shellfish; sauces like hollandaise, mayonnaise and bechemels are other ways to work this fresh product into your dish or menus.  Consuming Sea Urchin  has really risen in the American culinary ranks as of late.  You can attribute this to the global "foodie" movement, where new and interesting foods are featured in a myriad of shows, literature and menus in the race for culinary excellence.  Another reason is the local food movement, they are readily available on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of America, very fresh very local.  California seems to have really embraced this "uni-que" movement.  “We only serve locally-sourced and sustainable products, and uni is one of those prized ingredients” notes Executive Chef Chad White of San Diego’s Sea Rocket Bistro. “There is an abundance of sea urchin on the West Coast, especially here in San Diego, and I get mine direct off the boat daily. Rarely is there a shortage, unless the weather is bad and my fishermen can’t get out to the ocean,” adds White. His restaurant offers several uni-focused selections, including sea urchin pasta and a sea urchin shooter during happy hour which he claims, “creates quite the hysteria.”  Not sure if Uni or Sea urchin is for you?  This is definitely something to enjoy at a sushi restaurant to pop your uni cherry, than advance to more adventurous preparations, like raw out of the shell.   What have you got to lose?  Try it you just might find that you are a "uni head" and enjoy, crave and gotta have it for the rest of your life!