Sea urchin

Sea urchin

　　　A specialty flavor of Hainan. The sea urchin is a peculiar marine creature, encased in a hard shell covered with sharp spines, spherical in shape with a diameter of about 5 cm. Its edible part is its reproductive gland, known as "sea urchin roe" or commonly called "sea urchin paste." It has an extremely delicious taste and is rich in lecithin, protein, riboflavin, and other nutrients, making it a highly nutritious tonic. This dish uses the whole sea urchin as a bowl, steamed with egg mixture and seasonings. It allows you to enjoy both the original shape and authentic taste, making for an entertaining dining experience.

　　Sea urchin is also known as the sea hedgehog, a type of echinoderm that is round, hemispherical, or heart-shaped. The sea urchins produced in Longlou, Wenchang County are quite famous. Despite its unappealing appearance, the reproductive gland, or sea urchin paste, is a highly flavorful and nutritious food. It can be eaten raw or processed into alcohol-soaked sea urchin, salted sea urchin, chilled fresh sea urchin, or steamed for consumption. As early as the Qing Dynasty in China, sea urchin paste was used to make "Yun Dan," considered a uniquely styled delicacy for banquets. When cooked with lean pork, the sea urchin paste becomes even more delicious and offers a distinctive flavor.

　　Although the sea urchin is covered in spines, its reproductive gland, known as sea urchin paste, is an extremely tasty and nutritious food. Sea urchins can be eaten raw or processed into alcohol-soaked sea urchin, salted sea urchin, chilled fresh sea urchin, or steamed. As early as the Qing Dynasty in China, sea urchin paste was used to make "Yun Dan," a uniquely styled delicacy for banquets. When combined with lean pork, the sea urchin paste becomes delicious and offers a special flavor. Steamed sea urchin resembles steamed eggs, but the taste is vastly different—much richer and fresher.

　　Main ingredients for sea urchin:

　　10 live sea urchins, 4 eggs, 500 grams of water, appropriate amounts of salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG), light soy sauce, peanut oil, chopped scallions, and a small amount of pepper.

　　How to prepare sea urchin:

　　1. Cut open the top of the sea urchin to form a bowl-like shape, remove the internal organs and sand, and keep the roe intact.

　　2. Remove the shells from the eggs, beat the egg whites and yolks together, mix with water, then stir in salt, MSG, and pepper. Evenly divide the mixture into the 10 sea urchin bowls. Steam over high heat for 5 minutes until it resembles steamed egg custard, then remove.

　　3. Heat peanut oil in a pan until hot, pour into a bowl, mix with light soy sauce and chopped scallions, and drizzle evenly over the 10 steamed sea urchin custards to finish.

　　Features of sea urchin:

　　Served in the original sea urchin bowl, it has a unique presentation. The custard and sea urchin roe complement each other, resulting in a tender, smooth, and delicious taste.