If your first taste of an Urchin is stepping on one in a rock pool, you’d be forgiven for being hesitant to eat one. But these little guys are just stunning to eat and, in some parts of south east Australia, available in plague proportions, leading researchers to call on Australians to eat more Urchins in an effort to protect those habitats.

Sea Urchin fisheries around south-eastern Australia target long-spined, purple and red sea urchins, but there are even more varieties than that. All Urchins have five fat tongues of roe in the shell that range in colour from off-white to a vivid ochre. The roe is creamy and sweet with just enough salt to remind you that it’s seafood. It’s so versatile to eat – straight out of the shell, raw, on sushi or as an amazing pasta sauce.

Loved worldwide, it’s really only cheap in Australia and New Zealand. A don (bowl) of rice and uni can set you back $60 in Tokyo, or $30 for a small frozen Urchin in Singapore. In Sydney, whole live Urchin are sold for as low as $5 each!

In addition to being delicious, and the positive environmental impact that harvesting Urchins has, the roe is rich with a chemical called anandamide, which has both muscle relaxing and mood-elevating qualities. So you can eat the problem and feel good about it.

DIVE DEEPER

COMMERCIAL NAME

Sea Urchins

Method of Capture

Hand-harvested

Region

Eastern Australia,
Southern Australia

Other names

Urchin, Sea Hedgehogs, Sand Dollars, Sea Biscuits

Scientific Family

Echinidae

Seasonality

Available year-round.

Size

Generally around the size of a baseball, but can be harvested slightly larger.

Price range

Low priced (when whole).

Alternative Species

There's nothing quite like Urchin!

ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES

SHOPPING TIPS

When buying urchin whole, make sure to give them a sniff - they should smell fresh and oceanic. Any kind of 'off' odour means yo should choose another.

If buying the roe alone, look for consistent, bright orange to deep ochre colouring, with no grey tinges.

STORAGE TIPS

Should be eaten as soon as possible after opening - not a species that suits storing!

COOKING TIPS

To open an urchin at home, use two tablespoons. Insert them back to back in the squishy part at the top of the urchin and lever them apart until the urchin cracks open into two halves. Then, gently pull out the orange tongues of roe, giving them a little rinse to remove spines and debris if necessary.

COOKING METHODS

Urchin roe is best enjoyed raw, ideally atop some rice. Alternatively, toss it through a pasta right at the end for a creamy, seafoodie, umami sauce.

Flavour pairings

Garlic, butter, rice, soy, ginger, seaweed.

IMPORTS

None.

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INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chardonnay vinegar Salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
2 golden shallots, very finely diced Rock salt, for serving
 12 freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters Chervil sprigs, for garnishing