Fresh sea urchin (uni) is a delicious and unique delicacy. Although some people consider it an acquired taste, enthusiasts love uni precisely for its distinct qualities. It entices with the fresh scent of ocean water, a creamy, custard-like texture that melts in your mouth, and a slightly salty, slightly sweet, buttery flavor that\u2019s pure umami.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Exactly Is Uni?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Uni is the edible part of a sea urchin, a small, spiny, spherical echinoderm related to starfish and sea cucumbers<\/a>. Uni is commonly referred to as roe (eggs), but the term is a misnomer. Uni is actually the sex organs (gonads) of the urchin!<\/p>\n\n\n\n How To Best Enjoy Uni<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to experience the flavor of the sea in its purest form, uni is typically served raw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As sashimi, uni is often accented with a spritz of lemon or lime juice; a sprinkle of salt; a drizzle of soy sauce or ponzu; or even a dash of hot sauce. As sushi, it is commonly served as nigiri<\/em> with a touch of wasabi between the uni and the rice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also place one or two pieces of raw uni atop a variety of dishes. From poke and chirashi bowls, to egg dishes like scrambled eggs and chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), uni is a surefire way to create a wow factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ever had an oyster shooter? How about a sea urchin shooter<\/a>? This is another great way to prepare raw uni. Simply place a piece of uni into a shot glass, followed by some finely chopped green onion, a bit of tobiko or masago, a splash of ponzu, and pinch of wasabi. Top with sake or ginger beer, and kanpai<\/em> (cheers)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternative Ways To Prepare Fresh Sea Urchin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If the thought of eating raw uni makes you squeamish, consider trying it in a cooked dish. Incorporated into pasta, uni provides a creamy, velvety mouthfeel that\u2019s unlike anything else. On menus or in recipe searches, look to the Southern Italian classic, Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare<\/em> (Spaghetti with Sea Urchin), or more modern takes like Uni Carbonara or Serious Eats\u2019 Creamy Sea Urchin Pasta<\/a>, which combines fresh sea urchin with Mexican crema and Calabrian chile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve also seen uni stirred into plain noodles; incorporated into soups, like sea urchin bisque; combined with butter and slathered across a toasted piece of rustic bread; and turned into ice cream. Yes, ice cream!<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to all the ways to prepare uni, the world is your oyster!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fresh sea urchin (uni) is a delicious and unique delicacy. Although some people consider it an acquired taste, enthusiasts love uni precisely for its distinct qualities. It entices with the fresh scent of ocean water, a creamy, custard-like texture that melts in your mouth, and a slightly salty, slightly sweet, buttery flavor that\u2019s pure umami. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15442,"featured_media":37060,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dock-to-dish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catalinaop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catalinaop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catalinaop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catalinaop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15442"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catalinaop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37038"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catalinaop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37038\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catalinaop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catalinaop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catalinaop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}