Sea Urchin(uni)
Uni from the Sea of Japan are best in summer, while those harvested off the east coast of Hokkaido peak from late autumn to the end of spring. Identifying the tastiest specimens is especially tricky with sea urchin. Freshness, form, color and appearance offer no clue; flavor is all. The short-spined sea urchin is yellowish-brown, fine –grained, and comes apart easily, but is rich and sweet with a slight salty tang. The northern sea urchin meanwhile is yellowish and coarser, firmer fleshed than the red sea urchin, and more attractive, but not as sweet. Uni, seaweed and soy sauce make an outstanding combo, further improved by a generous garnish of wasabi.