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[title]When it comes to seafood, one of the most coveted indulgences has got to be uni, or sea urchin, roe. These prized nuggets of golden goodness are best enjoyed fresh, and you can’t go wrong with Hadate sea urchin brought in straight from Hokkaido.
Hadate Suisan offers Kita Murasaki uni, which is some of the best around and it’s sold at a premium price at Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market. The luxurious uni is served at many Michelin-starred eateries including long-established sushi restaurants.
Of all the uni, Akatsuki is the highest grade of Kita Murasaki raw sea urchin – it makes up just about one percent of Hadate Suisan’s yearly catch. To celebrate the New Year, Hadate Suisan has repackaged their prized Akatsuki uni by hand, offering it in gorgeous tamatebako lacquerware boxes.
These beautifully decorated boxes have been traditionally used to store valuable jewellery, cosmetics or to be given as gifts. For Hadate Suisan’s uni, these special boxes are designed by Tokyo-based artist collective In-Yo and finished by revered lacquer craftsmen Shitsurindo, who is honoured by Japan’s Daihonzan Eiheiji Temple. These boxes feature an image of 2024’s zodiac sign – a majestic dragon.
At Hadate Suisen's first auction of the year on January 5 2024, the company broke its previous bid record for the most expensive batch of Akatsuki uni. This box was sold for an astonishing ¥1.5 million to Hiroki Nakanoue, the chef-owner of Hong Kong sushi restaurant Sushiyoshi.
The second highest bid of ¥850,000 was placed by Tomiyama restaurant Gejo, in the hopes that the prized uni would lift up the spirits of local diners who had been affected by the earthquake on January 1. Beyond the sea urchin, the auction also showcased a strong demand for tuna, with bids soaring up to ¥480,000 per kilo.
Whether you live in Japan or overseas, you can now order one of these luxurious uni boxes and have it delivered right to your door. Enjoy it with rice, or simply eat it as-is, to appreciate the sea urchin’s rich and briny flavour.
To order a box of Hadate Suisan uni, contact the following wholesalers:
kaihoutoyosu.com
us.sakasyu.com