Uni(海胆籽)can be found in Japanese restaurants. But what do you think about uni? It's not everyone's favourite food. Let's find out more about it.

What is it?

Uni is the Japanese word for sea urchin (海胆).Sea urchins are easy to recognize. They have long, thin spines (刺) which are dangerous. 【小题1】 Sea urchins can grow up to 10 centimetres round and can live for 200 years!

Where can you find them?

Sea urchins live in seas in the world. 【小题2】 They can be found on rocky bottoms. There are over 200 different kinds of sea urchin. The inside of only 18 of them are eatable.

So what's inside a sea urchin?

Uni of course! 【小题3】 They are not. Uni are the sea urchin's reproductive organs (器官)! The best uni is said to come from Hokkaido in Japan. Uni from California has a very clean flavour (味道).

Describe uni to me.

A piece of uni is usually 1-3 centimetres long. When it has been cleaned, it looks a bit like a small tongue. It tastes like ice cream. The flavour is very rich. 【小题4】

If it is so rich, is it good for you?

【小题5】 Uni is rich in vitamins A, C and E. It is also full of protein (蛋白质). Uni has fewer calories than many other foods on the menu.