Verified in Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara Sea Urchin (Uni) is a signature dish of United States; we have verified places to eat it in Santa Barbara. Start with where to eat Santa Barbara Sea Urchin (Uni) in Santa Barbara.
Hand-harvested by hookah divers from Channel Islands kelp beds, Santa Barbara red sea urchin is prized for a sweet, briny, creamy flavour that reflects the cold upwellings and rich kelp forests of the Santa Barbara Channel. The roe is golden-orange in colour and significantly cleaner in taste than alum-preserved imported alternatives. A quarter of the annual local catch is exported to Japan.
The Santa Barbara Channel urchin industry expanded significantly in the 1970s when Japanese export markets emerged; before that, urchins were treated as kelp-farm pests destroyed by commercial divers to protect abalone populations. Diver Stephanie Mutz and other small-boat operators now sell directly at the Saturday Fisherman's Market at the harbour, alongside the wholesale catch that supplies restaurants across the city.
Where to eat in Santa Barbara:
Where to eat Santa Barbara Sea Urchin (Uni) in Santa Barbara: the editor picks
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