One of the most popular ways to enjoy uni is by eating it fresh in sushi. Here are just a few popular sea urchin dishes from Japan. There are countless ways to eat uni, both raw and cooked. These include the Teuri Uni Matsuri on Teuri Island in Hokkaido and the Taneichi Uni Matsuri held in Iwate prefecture, both held in July, where you can try fresh uni straight from the shell, as well as the Akune Uni-don Matsuri held in Kagoshima prefecture in May and Sai-mura Uni Matsuri held in Aomori prefecture in June, which celebrate their regional heritage with delicious bowls of uni over rice. With Japan’s love for uni, it’s not surprising that there are plenty of uni festivals that spring up when the local harvest begins. Tokyo is another good place to eat excellent uni, as it has access to not only fresh Hokkaido uni but also some of the finest uni from places like California and Chile.

Those who can’t make it all the way up to Japan’s northern prefecture can find kita-murasaki uni and Ezo-bafun uni at high-end sushi and seafood restaurants or sold by uni vendors at major fish markets. People in Japan widely agree that the best domestic uni comes from Hokkaido prefecture, where the sea urchins live in cold water feasting on umami-rich kelp. This takes places from July to August for murasaki uni, September to October for kita-murasaki uni, October to November for bafun uni, and from December to February for Ezo bafun uni. It’s at its most flavorful during the one- to two-month period where the gonads of the sea urchin grow in size to prepare for the spawning season and become intensely flavorful.

Uni in Japan is best enjoyed from late summer to the end of April. Kita-murasaki uni has a more delicate texture and sweet flavor than regular murasaki uni, while Ezo-bafun uni has an intense jewel-like color, sweet aroma, and unrivaled creaminess.Īlso popular in Japan are aka uni imported from Santa Barbara, California, that are much larger in size and have a meaty texture, and from Chile, with a sweet brininess and deep yellow color. These two varieties are considered the very best in Japan. In addition to these, sea urchin from Hokkaido prefecture are classified as kita-murasaki (northern murasaki) uni and Ezo- bafun uni-named after the traditional Japanese name for Hokkaido. It has a dark orange color, which is why it’s sometimes referred to as aka uni, or red sea urchin. Due to its size and distinct flavor, bafun uni is best suited for cooked dishes and sauces. This gives the uni a bolder taste that’s rich in umami and slightly bitter notes. It’s best eaten in sushi or as sashimi to enjoy its delicate flavors.īafun uni, featured in the image above, is compact in size and comes from a smaller sea urchin, harvested from much deeper ocean depths. Murasaki uni is mustard yellow in color and has a clean, mildly sweet taste. It comes from a dark purple sea urchin with long pointed spines. Murasaki uni is the most common type available in Japan. Japan is home to two main types of uni- murasaki and bafun, two varieties also known as “ aka uni.” Murasaki Uni and Bafun Uni Each sea urchin contains only five of these gonads, which makes it a special luxury on par with eating wagyu beef in Japan. Sometimes referred to as the sea urchin’s roe, or eggs, uni is actually the creature’s gonads (reproductive glands), and the edible portion of the spiny sea urchin. Uni is a world-class delicacy-and one of the more unexpected foods to come from Japan.

Keep reading to find out what uni is, what kind of uni are popular in Japan, where to get it, and some amazing dishes that will make your stomach grumble for more! What Is Uni? While Japan is the largest consumer of uni, people around the world are beginning to discover the delightfully creamy texture and delicate sweetness of this ocean treat. Nearly a thousand varieties of sea urchin, or uni, exist in the world but only a small percentage of these can be eaten.