Market Price
Santa Barbara Fishermen's Market
Every Saturday, local fishermen and women set up shop on the City Pier in the Santa Barbara Harbor. The longest line you'll find is behind the uni stall. Harry Liquornik is busy cracking open the urchins, both red and purple, and mingling with customers. Today's special is one red urchin and one purple urchin for $20. Otherwise, one urchin runs for $15. Only 10 to 20% of his catch goes directly to the public through markets like these. The other 70 to 80% is being delivered to restaurants or fish markets. Around 11:15 a.m., Liquornik is alone at his stand with a line down the dock, when he picks up his phone. "This is bullshit," he spews, distraught over his lack of help. Just two minutes later, a fellow urchin diver is alongside him serving diners.
"We've only missed around four or five markets this past year for weather," Liquornik says as he cleans kelp from the urchin shell. Locally, he sells them by the urchin, but in Japan he sells by the individual piece and in the US commercial market he sells by the pound. One pound of sea urchin can be anywhere from $3 or $4 and one piece in Japan can range anywhere from $5 to $10. Some regulars pop by and greet Liquornik like he's an old friend. One couple is up from Los Angeles after hearing how incredible the fresh uni was here.
"I get a lot of people who say they have had it and didn't like it. When we sell on Saturdays, they are fresh out of the shell. I always tell them to try it again fresh out of the shell. It's a completely different taste," Liquornik says. He teaches newcomers how to eat it: with a spoon, first plain, then add lemon, then add shoyu sauce. Never once does he stop working while he speaks. A pair large pliers crack then opens the shell. He takes large tweezers and extracts the excess seaweed and "gunk." He tosses them in a blue paper food tray and hands the uni to the customer. "The spines are still moving. Is that normal?," a first time uni eater exclaims. Liquornik assures them that the springs will continue to move for three or four more hours, calling them "zombies".
Press to hear Harry Liquornik's favorite uni flavors.
Not All Uni is Equal
California Gold
Boasts a firm, buttery texture, a vibrant goldish-orange-yellow hue, a fresh, salty ocean scent, and maintains a sweet, crisp taste. The pieces, or tongues, are large and completely intact. Used for top quality sushi.
California Select
Characterized by a more brownish color, a nuttier taste, and a softer texture. Consists of more broken pieces and is frequently packaged and shipped frozen. Used in soups, sauces, and in dishes where uni is not the main ingredient.
Premium
Retains the firm, buttery texture and sea scent but may exhibit a slightly less vibrant color. Uni sections are smaller but still mostly intact pieces. Use in sushi, soups, salads or combination dishes where uni is the featured item.
