The Story of Santa Barbara Uni
Sea urchin oversupply has led to a culinary craze using their reproductive organs--uni.
By: Laura Hupp
From Kelp Bed to Kitchen
To most international diving historians, Santa Barbara is regarded as the birthplace of commercial diving. When the abalone population that once claimed title as the main local fishery started to decline, some divers turned to the oilfield diving and some turned to sea urchins, which offer up uni, now a global delicacy.
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“There isn’t a season for uni. It’s a year-round fishery,” said Stephanie Mutz a local commercial urchin diver. She says it shows the uptick in trendiness of uni that it can't be limited to an “uni season” in the restaurant world. Mutz is the owner of Sea Stephanie Fish and distributes her urchin directly to local consumers.
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A livelihood for some becomes a meal for others. Breaking through the urchin’s spiky shell reveals the culinary delicacy—uni, the urchin's gonads and a featured sashimi on the menu of your favorite sushi spot. Santa Barbara's proximity to some of the world's finest uni sources renders it an alluring ingredient for chefs and diners alike and has made the city famous as the uni capital of the global gastronomy.
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About the Writer
My name is Laura Hupp
I am a UC Santa Barbara senior studying Communication and Professional Writing with a focus in journalism. Outside of school, I write for Santa Barbara Life & Style Magazine. Despite my west coast residency, the east coast is where I call home (specifically Annapolis, Maryland).
