Considered a delicacy in several parts of the world, sea urchin, or uni in Japanese, is prized for its unique flavor. But the cost of the gonads — the orange tongues found inside an urchin ...

Inside the spiky test are five corals of roe, sometimes called tongues—the sea urchin’s wobbly gonads. Karoline O.A. Pettersen Sea urchins with their skin and spines removed. Jennifer Steen ...

Sea urchin has been a staple of Japanese cuisine for hundreds of years, often featured in sushi and sashimi dishes. More commonly called "uni" when it appears on menus, the delicacy has taken over ...