The other day for the first time, I tried uni sushi, which is made from sea urchin:
Uni is made from the roe or "coral" of the urchin, and is considered a delicacy. Some people compare it to truffle or foie gras, others think it tastes truly awful. From what I have learned, uni has a very short shelf life. Even the time that uni sits on the table in a good Japanese restaurant might be enough to tip it from elixir to execrable.
My uni was... unique. The coral arrives looking a lot like diarrhea on rice. I am told one of the many types of uni translates from Japanese to something that comes out of the rear end of a horse.
The taste was exotic. I guess it compares to oysters, a little. Definitely the taste of the ocean, with the texture of a raw egg yolk. My uni flavour was fairly strong, but with some complexity. I don't think all uni should be quite that powerful.
I can't imagine eating a whole plate of the stuff. One at a time is enough. It's kind of a wierd, far-out taste that makes the rest of the meal taste sweeter and better. Uni is not bad, just different.
These days seem like uni days. Interesting, but with a taste of iodine. Hopefully, next week will be sweeter and better.
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