Get to Know About Uni (Sea Urchins)
Unless you are from Japan or Europe, or you are an avid Sushi Lover, you might not have tasted or even heard about Sea Urchins before! On this post, we will be discovering some well known and not-so known fact about sea urchins and why it's so loved by many foodies.
First of all... What Is Sea Urchin?
Sea urchins are echinoderms (they are invertebrates related to starfish and sand dollars) with spiny spherical shells that enclose five segments of bright yellow-orange gonads (reproductive organs from either gender). These gonads are the edible part of the sea urchins. They are often called by their Japanese name, uni, since the country accounts for about 80 percent of global consumption.
Sea urchins live in the ocean, where they feed on algae and kelp, and are harvested wild by divers or by boat. Their flavor depends on a variety of factors, including diet, age, habitat, and species. Of the 950 species of sea urchin, only a few species are commercially harvested. Sea urchins are often identified by color, which gets confusing since so many of them are shades of red, purple, and green. Urchins are also identified by where they’re from, another confusing practice since often several types of urchin are found in one place.
What Does Sea Urchin Taste Like?
Sea urchins are full of sugar, salt, and amino acids, giving them an umami-salty sweetness. Like oysters, they tend to taste like the ocean they come from and the seaweed they feed on. For example, Uni from Hokkaido, Japan, eat kombu, and therefore taste like kombu. Male uni has a smoother texture than female uni, but all good urchins should have a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture and a complex, unique flavor that has been compared to eggs, lobster, foie gras, and fish roe.
Sea Urchin Nutritional Information
One 3.5-ounce sea urchin contains 1.83 grams omega-3 fatty acids, which support heart and brain health. Sea urchins are also a good source of protein and zinc, a mineral that supports the immune system and helps wounds heal.
Now that you know more about sea urchins, it's time for you to try our Quebec sea urchins!
Information source: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-sea-urchin-learn-how-to-cook-sea-urchin-in-5-easy-steps#what-is-sea-urchin