Fishing nets in Shakotan, Hokkaido. (©Agnes Tandler)
Shakotan gets a lot of snow in winter and many bears in summer. However, most people visiting this sparsely populated part of Hokkaido come here for a very different animal: the "uni" (ウニ) or sea urchin. The size of a golf ball, it has a hard shell with robust spines and lives in shallow ocean waters. Shakotan, a peninsula that juts out into the Sea of Japan, has some of the best sea urchins the world can offer.
Even at the start of summer, Shakotan feels wild and remote. In mid-June, there is still snow on Mount Shakotan. At 1,225 meters, it is the highest peak on the peninsula. Sheer cliffs cut steeply into the crystal-clear ocean waters, and strangely shaped rock formations protrude from the sea looking like sea monsters. One of them has been chastely named "Candle Rock," but its shape hints at other associations.
Kelp is Key
A quick look at the emerald blue sea around Shakotan reveals why the sea urchin here is so highly regarded. Sea urchins are very sensitive to water quality, and Shakotan's clean waters provide the perfect environment for them to thrive. Furthermore, Shakotan's uni feed on kombu (kelp) rather than seaweed like in other parts of Japan. The cold, clean waters around Shakotan promote healthy kelp growth, and this kombu diet enhances the sea urchin's taste.
The uni season in Shakotan is short, running only from June to August. Flags and banners around the peninsula proudly announce the arrival of this delicacy, attracting many fans. Located just about 100 kilometers northwest of Sapporo, Shakotan makes for an excellent pilgrimage for the fearless eater.
In Bikuni, a fishing town with only a few hundred residents, a seafood restaurant has already sold out its daily quota of Murasaki uni by 1 pm.
"We only have Bafun Uni left," explains the cheerful waiter, pointing to the menu. For those unfamiliar, this might initially sound concerning, as "bafun" is "horse dung" in Japanese. Fortunately, this type of sea urchin earns its name from the clusters it forms on the ocean floor, not its taste. Bafun Uni is considered the superior delicacy due to its sweeter taste and more pronounced umami flavor compared to the Murasaki variety. Its color is more orange than its Murasaki sibling, which is also not purple as the name might suggest, but sports a more yellow hue.
Over-Analyzing not Advised
For some, eating sea urchins may require some practice and even a leap of faith. The smooth, buttery texture of uni, followed by its sweetness with a hint of ocean brine, has been likened to experiencing a seafood version of foie gras — the rich, fatty liver of duck or goose. For some, it's love at first bite. For others, it's a flavor that takes getting used to.
Overthinking while eating uni is strongly discouraged — because truth be told, the only edible parts of the sea urchin are its gonads. Each spiny sea urchin shell contains five gonads that resemble small kitten tongues.
Visually, it's impossible to distinguish between male and female sea urchins. Accurately identifying the sex of a sea urchin requires chemical analysis of its fatty acid content or other scientific methods, such as microscopic examination. But this is certainly not something you'd do at the dinner table.
All uni are eaten raw, their reproductive organs freshly pried from inside their spiny shells. At the restaurant in Shakotan, the Bafun Uni is served on a bed of rice. As it is the most expensive and sought-after uni, the waiter discourages the use of soy sauce to preserve its delicate flavor profile. Inside the restaurant, other uni aficionados have gathered: a driver of a black Porsche from Sapporo and a young couple visiting from Aomori City. Neither are able to conceal their excitement about the sublime taste of Shakotan uni. The restaurant owner plays old-fashioned enka songs over the stereo, adding a sense of nostalgia to the uni experience.
Prized Delicacy
The delicacy doesn't come cheap, with the smallest serving of sea urchin on rice starting at ¥5,000 JPY (about $30 USD). The minimum wage in Hokkaido is just under ¥1,000 per hour. However, uni season comes around once a year in Shakotan, so people don't feel too bad about making it an annual pilgrimage. There's also the consolation that in Tokyo, uni on rice (unidon) would easily cost four times as much as in Shakotan. Moreover, a trip to the "holy place of uni" is a worthwhile experience in itself.
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Author: Agnes Tandler, Hokkaido
