Gift Guide 2020: For Uni Addicts
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am complete and total uni addict. I even have a sea urchin cutter, imported from Japan, just in case I should be lucky enough to find a source for fresh urchins.
Sea urchins come in many flavors. Some favor the prized Hokkaido sea urchins from Japan. Some prefer the Atlantic urchins found off the coast of Maine. But for my money, you can’t beat the rich, sweet, buttery Santa Barbara sea urchin.
If you live in southern California, your best source is the wonderful Stephanie Mutz, who plies her trade in Santa Barbara. These days Stephanie is selling up and down the California coast, but sadly she doesn’t ship. So I’ve been fueling my extremely expensive urchin addiction with occasional splurges at Regalis.
Beware: Regalis is an absolute encyclopedia of luxury foods, and therefore rather dangerous. They sell everything from truffles to high end meats like Iberico ham and exotic produce like fresh wasabi. If you’re in the market for a live 7 or 8 pound red crab from Norway, they will oblige.
And if you’re eager to cut your own sashimi, their crown toro hamachi is the easiest - and least expensive - option I’ve found.
If you have a friend who’s feeling deprived of the luxury foods found in restaurants, they’d be extremely pleased to get a gift from Regalis. And even if you don’t, on dreary afternoons I can think of few more pleasant ways to pass a few minutes than daydreaming at the Regalis Foods website.