Uni-topia: A Celebration of Sea Delicacies

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Mendocino has long been known for its coastal bluffs and windblown beaches but now there’s another reason to enjoy its shoreline treasures: the briny urchin.

Each year in June, Mendocino hosts the Urchin Festival, a weekend-long celebration dedicated to the salty, savory goodness of sea urchins. Both educators and enthusiasts flock to this coastal town for a chance to participate in urchin-themed workshops, guided hikes, sea harvesting, tidepool exploration and a variety of coastal adventures.

A standout event of the festival is Uni University, a culinary exploration of the purple urchin, giving attendees a chance to dive into hands-on preparation of fresh spiny purple sea urchins, followed by sake tasting and savoring uni bites. Uni is the Japanese word for the edible part of the sea urchin.

Over the course of the weekend, visitors can learn how warm water led to an overpopulation of purple urchins, which are natural predators of local bull kelp. Noyo Center for Marine Science offers an indepth look at sea urchins and their impact on kelp forests and Crow’s Nest Interpretive Center hosts a feeding demonstration.

Those spending the night should check out the uni-festival specials offered by Harbor Inn, MacCallum House, Inn at Newport Ranch, Little River Inn and Noyo Harbor Inn.

For dining, local restaurants, including Vue Kitchen, SiBO, Wickson Kitchen and Inn at Newport Ranch, will whip up assorted savories using the spiny creature. Executive Chef Marc Dym prepares a five-course purple urchin tasting menu at Little River Inn.

Can’t make it to the festival? No worries! Here’s a delicious recipe from KW Saltwater Grill that brings the taste of Mendocino to your kitchen.

KW Saltwater Grill’s Uni-Baked Oysters

What You’ll Need

  • 1 lb butter
  • 1 cup Uni caviar bits (uni is the edible part of the sea urchin, and the bits are the caviar)
  • Pickled crimini and shiitake mushroom

What to do

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
  2. Puree the butter and uni caviar bits together.
  3. Scoop the mixture into raw oysters and top with pickled mushrooms.
  4. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the oysters are cooked through.
  5. Serve with sake or sparkling wine.

Enjoy the flavors of the sea and the spirit of Mendocino from home!

For more information, visit https://www.urchinfest.com

–Rose–