French cuisine is world-famous and multifaceted. In the south of France, sea urchins are harvested from the Mediterranean and served as a culinary specialty.
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00:00These are raw and still alive.
00:03Would you dare to eat them?
00:07I'm at the annual Sea Urchin Festival in Carré-le-Rouet,
00:11located in the south of France on the so-called Blue Coast.
00:16For three Sundays during the month of February,
00:19this little seaside town comes alive
00:22with people flocking here just to eat sea urchins.
00:27But what's so special about these funny little creatures
00:30which actually look like hedgehogs?
00:33And why are the French so in love with them?
00:36That's what I want to find out.
00:38Ilan Tinchon is my guide today in all things sea urchin.
00:43He works as the head chef at a nearby restaurant,
00:46so this time of year is very special for him.
00:50Ilan, why would anyone dare to eat this?
00:56When you open them, they're beautiful and particularly tasty.
01:01What's the way to eat this? What's the best way to eat it?
01:04My favorite way to eat them is simply with some bread and butter.
01:07That's it.
01:10But you can eat it just like this?
01:13Yes. That's the tongue. You take it out.
01:16What's that? That orange-colored part is the tongue.
01:19That's what you eat.
01:22Okay. Everything in there?
01:25Yes. Most people do it like this. They eat everything that's in here.
01:29I only eat the orange-colored part.
01:32Here we go. Let's see.
01:35Okay. Before I dare to try this for the first time,
01:38let's take a dive into the world of sea urchins.
01:41Sea urchins inhabit all of the Earth's oceans
01:44with over 1,000 species identified.
01:48Some live near the seashore and others deep in the ocean.
01:52But not all species are edible.
01:55Divers often use special tools to extract sea urchins from rocks.
01:59They're not generally endangered,
02:01but some species face threats from climate change,
02:04overfishing, and a global pandemic since 2022.
02:08Gathering them is regulated.
02:12In France, the sea urchin fishing season
02:15is open from November 1st to April 15th,
02:18and there are catch limits in place
02:20for both professional and hobby fishermen.
02:23In fact, most of the sea urchins at this festival
02:26are from Galicia, Spain,
02:28and there are other seapoo treats on offer.
02:31It's also a time for friends and family
02:33to get together to enjoy a day in the sun.
02:37Meanwhile, it's my turn now
02:39to take the plunge with my first sea urchin.
02:43I'm scared.
02:49It tastes a little nutty and like iodine,
02:51but it's not too salty.
02:53No, no, no, no, no.
02:55It's the ocean.
02:59Wow. Oh, I want more.
03:01Next, we head to the restaurant where Elon works
03:04to see how he cooks with sea urchins.
03:08I'll prepare a St. Peter's fish tartare
03:10with sea urchin and sea beans for you, Megan.
03:14Elon only uses local sea urchins.
03:18I'll use the scissors here.
03:21First, he cuts through the mouth.
03:24I cut everything up here.
03:28Yes, they're still alive.
03:30They were just caught yesterday.
03:35I don't think they have a brain,
03:37so I don't think they feel pain.
03:40Elon starts by preparing the fish
03:42with olive oil and lime zest,
03:44and then chives,
03:46spring onions,
03:48and dried lime.
03:55A fancy plate for the placement,
03:58finely chopped sea beans,
04:01and a creamy white wine and butter sauce
04:04that goes well with the John Dory.
04:07And then he rolls it into the shape of a rose.
04:14Do you like?
04:16It's beautiful.
04:18The sea urchins are rich in iodine
04:20and give the fish a natural flavor.
04:24I'm not in it right now. I'm trying to stay back.
04:27Elon gives the dish a final gourmet touch
04:30with edible flowers.
04:37Now I don't know how to eat it.
04:46Wow.
04:48Please don't ask me to describe what I'm tasting.
04:51Oui, c'est très bien.
04:53C'est très doux. It's wonderful.
04:55Elon, merci beaucoup.
04:57It was a pleasure.
05:01Wow, what an experience.
05:03I really didn't know what to expect when I came here.
05:05But now I understand a little bit better
05:07the French passion for sea urchins.
05:09Tell us in the comments below.
05:11Au revoir.