Green sea urchins are invertebrates native to the east coast of North America from Rhode Island northward. For decades divers have harvested these spiky creatures for their delicious roe called uni. Sea urchins live in shallow coastal waters and are covered in hundreds of delicate spines. In the wild, they are harvested by hand by highly trained divers.
What is uni?
Uni is the Japanese word for sea urchin. While many refer to uni as the roe of a sea urchin it is actually the creature’s gonads. Uni is a popular menu item on sushi menus worldwide. It is eaten raw or cooked. It had a distinctive deep golden yellow and has a creamy texture and a buttery taste.
How do you cook with uni?
Uni can be eaten raw – like sashimi or it can be cooked. It is delicious in pasta! The hardest part of cooking with uni is extracting the uni itself from the spiky shell.
What is aquaculture?
Picture a farm. But instead of rows with soil and plants, imagine water and marine life! Aquaculture is an efficient and environmentally sounds way to way to farm raise fish, shellfish and plants in both land-based facilities and in bodies of water such as lakes, rivers and oceans. The government of New Brunswick estimates one-third of all fish consumed globally is raised via aquaculture.
Where are your products harvested and processed?
Our green sea urchins are harvested in the Bay of Fundy and raised in our Pennfield facility. We also raise full life cycle, egg-to-table sea urchins. Our broodstock is cultivated in our nursery in St. Andrews at the Huntsman Marine Centre. The rest of our seafood products (scallops, periwinkles, softshell clams, Jonah crabs, quahogs and lobster) are all harvested in the Bay of Fundy. We are proud to support local family-owned fishing boats.
How can I purchase your products?
We have detailed product sheets available for each of our seafood products outlining the seasonal availability, quantities available and cost. Please contact us for our current offering and prices.
Where do you ship?
Quoddy currently ships our fresh seafood within North America. We will soon be able to ship to Europe and China. Want to be one of the first to know when our shipment areas grow? Contact us to be included on our list.
Are your products environmentally sound?
Yes! According to www.seafoodwatch.org Canadian wild caught green sea urchin is the best source for uni due to it’s well-managed fishery. Green sea urchin in Maine is to be avoided due to the overfishing of the fisheries in that area. Our land-based RAS facility that grows full life cycle sea urchins has passed the most rigorous environmental reviews by the provincial government of New Brunswick.
What quantities/unit sizes do you sell?
Each of our seafood products are sold in different quantities. Please contact us directly for any questions about unit sizes, pricing, and availability.