【Reading】しゃこたんSea Urchin

【English Name】Shakotan sea urchin

Shakotan uni is a collective term for sea urchins (uni) harvested in the waters off the Shakotan Peninsula in western Hokkaido. Together with Rishiri Island and Rebun Island, it is widely known as one of Hokkaido's leading sea-urchin production areas.

The two species mainly used for food are the northern sea urchin (kita-murasaki uni) and the Ezo bafun uni (short-spined sea urchin). Among fishermen, the former is distinguished as "shiro" or "nona" and the latter as "aka" or "ganze." The northern sea urchin accounts for 80 to 90 percent of the volume reaching the market, while the Ezo bafun uni is rarer and more expensive. The northern sea urchin has a pale color and refined sweetness, while the Ezo bafun uni is a vivid orange with a rich, intense flavor.

On the Sea of Japan side, the fishing season is typically around June to August. Those at the stage where the nutritive cells of the gonads are full but the reproductive cells have not yet developed are said to be the most delicious. The flavor of uni is greatly influenced by the seaweed it feeds on, and the more abundant the high-quality kelp (kombu) in the waters, the higher the quality of uni that grows.

At sushi shops, the gunkan-maki (battleship roll) is the standard way of serving it. On the Shakotan Peninsula, many shops serve uni-don (sea urchin rice bowl) in summer, which has become established as a specialty gourmet dish that attracts tourists. The edible part is the gonads (testes and ovaries), which are rich in B vitamins, folic acid, and phospholipids.