Nan'ao Sea Urchins

Nan’ao Sea Urchins

　　In the waters around Nan’ao, near the four rocky islets of Qinpeng, Nanpeng, Wuyu, and Guanyu, thrives a delicious and nutritious echinoderm — the sea urchin. Once the shell is pried open, you’ll find the delectable sea urchin roe inside. Every year around the Qingming Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival, villagers hop on speedboats and dive into these waters to harvest the sea urchins.

　　“Can’t afford chicken eggs? Eat sea urchins every meal.” This is a popular saying in Nan’ao. For city dwellers, sea urchins are considered a luxurious delicacy, but for locals, they’re as common as eggs.

　　Besides Nan’ao in Shenzhen, Dalian is another major producer of sea urchins in China. Though both are sea urchins, those from the two regions vary greatly in quality. Dalian sea urchins boast the boldness characteristic of the north — they grow in deeper waters, have a lighter color, coarser texture, but a richer aroma. In contrast, Nan’ao sea urchins are delicate in the southern style. They typically live on rocks or in crevices at depths of just over one meter, displaying a beautiful golden-yellow hue. Their flesh is tender, smooth, yet slightly tangy.

　　The plumpest sea urchins are considered the best. Short and stout ones are usually fatter, whereas long and thin ones tend to be leaner. The best season to enjoy sea urchins is around the third and fourth lunar months, when they are at their plumpest — rich in flesh and bursting with flavor. Nowadays, sea urchins contain more moisture, making them less fragrant but sweeter in taste. Steaming them with egg whites offers a uniquely delicious twist.

　　Before eating, the sea urchin must be carefully cleaned, its spines trimmed, and the upper shell sawed off. Though the steps may seem simple, they are time-consuming and require skill. Mishandling can cause pieces of the shell to fall into the roe, ruining the dish’s texture. After removing the internal organs, pour in egg whites and steam for five minutes. The black sea urchin shell serves as the serving vessel, cradling the white egg whites with golden roe in the center.

　　Sea urchins are highly nutritious. Currently, the market price is about 200 yuan per kilogram, and at peak times, it can reach nearly 400 yuan per kilogram. Nan’ao Island currently sells over 10 tons of sea urchin roe annually, generating nearly 2 million yuan in output value. Thanks to the island’s well-preserved water quality, the sea urchins are of top-notch quality, and the fresh roe exported from the island every year is hugely popular in Japan, becoming a gourmet delight on Japanese dining tables.