Uni-Hishio: Fukui’s Specialty Sea Urchin Sauce

The “Wakasa (若狭)” region in Fukui Prefecture is known for having a rich variety of seafood from ancient times.

In fact, it is said that, in the Nara period (奈良時代: 710 to 794), the lord presented seafood caught in the district, such as salt, fish, and seaweed, to the imperial court of Japan.

In the old days, sea urchin, “Uni (雲丹)” was caught in large quantities in Wakasa, and the region today has a specialty sea urchin sauce that it can pride itself on.

Unihishio (雲丹醤)

The local specialty sea urchin sauce is called “Uni-Hishio (雲丹醤)”, which is made from salted sea urchin roe that has been fermented and aged.

Ingredients and Nutrition Facts

Specifically, based on the label on the glass bottle, the main ingredients in the Unihishio sauce are sea urchin, sugar, salt, onion, amino acids, spices, and paprika pigment.

Incidentally, the Japanese sauce has 78 kcal per 100g and contains 4.3 grams of salt equivalents.

Taste 

The Uni-Hishio sea urchin sauce is thick in consistency and has a golden brown hue that comes from its main ingredient sea urchin eggs.

The fermentation and aging process imparts a depth of flavor and distinctive umami to the sea urchin sauce, making it a mellow, delicious Uni sauce.

Uses 

The small folded leaflet pictured above comes with the product, and it states that the sea urchin sauce, Unihishio can be used in various ways.

If I give examples, it is recommended as a sauce for pasta or fried seafood and goes well with “Tamago Kake Gohan (卵かけご飯: Uncooked egg on rice)”. Not only that, but the Japanese sea urchin sauce can also be a secret seasoning for ramen.

Actually, this was the first time I tried the Uni-Hishio sauce, and this time, I tasted it with fresh vegetables, Sashimi fresh raw fish slices, and plain white rice.

Instead of Soy Sauce

Instead of soy sauce, I enjoyed Sashimi slices dipping in the thick ocher sea urchin sauce. As the leaflet says, this usage was very nice. 

As a Dip with Mayonnaise

Fresh vegetable sticks are one of the best matches with the sea urchin sauce. Especially, the dip of Unihishio sauce and mayonnaise is perfect for them. 

With Bland or Light-Tasting Foods

By drizzling some Uni-Hishio on plain white rice and eating them together, I found this sea urchin sauce works particularly well with bland or light-tasting foods.