Sustainable Manila

Why Hunt And Eat Sea Urchins?

1. They're delicious!
Sea urchin roe or "uni" has a strong, briny, ocean taste like caviar, and a rich, creamy, delicate consistency like foie gras.

2. And nutritious!
Full of vitamin A, D, zinc, and long-chain fatty acids. This is why roe is prized as a superfood in many cultures, especially for pregnant women.

3. Preemptive strike.
Hunt and eat them before they sting you with their spines while you frolic about at the beach. The best defense is a good offense!

Sea urchins are the bane of surfers and other beachgoers everywhere!

Making sand art was fun but I wanted to frolic in the water too! Time for a preemptive strike against the sea urchins...

How To Hunt Sea Urchins

1. Go to a beach where sea urchins dwell.
You will know because the locals (or your beach trip companions who've had previous painful encounters) will warn you to avoid stepping on them. These are usually beaches with lots of rocks and pebbles, where sea urchins like to hide.

We went to Calico-An, Samar, for the Surfing Competition October 2012. Check out Surf To Live To Surf and JM Quiblat's Facebook page for more gnarly photos from that surf trip!

If the sea urchins look unfamiliar to you, verify with the locals first.

We found small sea urchins in various hues-- dark brown, reddish brown, yellow green, and pale pink.

3. Prepare your weapon and basket.
Your weapon should be a sturdy pointy object with which to poke the sea urchins, and your basket should be a convenient receptacle in which to place captured sea urchins. Be creative, and remember that the sea often provides! The waves brought us a nicely sharpened bamboo stick, and a Stoked cap that probably belonged to one of the surfers (we cleaned and returned it after using it). If you are especially crafty, you may be able to weave a basket from drifting seaweed.

You'll need something to pry the sea urchin out of its hiding nook.

3. Wait for low tide.
Hopefully this is during early morning, when waters are calm and the sun is bright enough to illuminate your hunting expedition. Ideal hunting grounds for beginners are calm, clear, shallow waters, up to knee-deep.

Enjoy the sunrise while waiting for low tide.

4. Charge!
Wear protective footwear (slippers will do) and remain vigilant. Sea urchins typically hide in nooks and crannies between rocks and inside holes. Be careful not to step in these areas. Use your weapon to pry the creatures loose, and nudge them carefully into your basket. Expect stubborn resistance from the quarry. Be persistent and strategic in utilizing your weapon. Soon, you should be able to fill your basket.

5. Carry your captives back to the shore.
Triumphantly raise your weapon above your head and be praised by your fellows for your successful hunt.



How To Eat Sea Urchins

1. Smash away the spines.
Again, be creative and remember that the sea provides. We used some beach stones for this purpose. A large flat stone served as a smashing surface, another stone served as the bludgeoning device, and yet another stone or stick served to hold the sea urchin in place. Rinse in clean fresh or saltwater.

The Altar Of Sacrifice!

This is a tedious and time-consuming activity, so it's more fun to do in a group.

Even after its spines have been smashed away, the sea urchin's mouth-- a circular orifice crowned with sharp little teeth-- is still strong enough to grip!

The edible part is the roe and it's usually orange or yellow. Remove the "poison" glands-- these aren't really poisonous, just bitter. Rinse in clean fresh or saltwater. If you are rinsing in freshwater, just one quick rinse is enough-- you just want to clean it quickly, and you don't want to wash away too much of that nice briny ocean flavor.

3. Eat with gusto!
No need to cook, and if you're already familiar with Japanese cuisine, no need to worry about pathogens in raw seafood. It's great as is. You can also try it with various condiments such as toyo (soy sauce), calamansi (Philippine lemon), wasabi, or vinegar. You can also sprinkle it on steamed rice. Savor the utter freshness of your meal, and the fact that you hunted it yourself-- a rather rare treat in modern civilization.

Modern-day hunter-gatherer.

I am happy to review Lotus Bloom Soaps, beautifully and thoughtfully handcrafted bath soap bars made from distilled rainwater and natural oils using the traditional soap making process. Proudly Philippine made!

One of the things I learned in my interior design course in college was that, the closer it is to your body, the better its quality should be. This is an argument for cheap curtains and expensive bedsheets. But it's also an argument for high quality food (which you're putting directly inside your body) and high quality cosmetics (which is like food for your skin, the largest organ of your body). I don't believe in extravagantly expensive cosmetics, but high quality ingredients are worth investing in. You can save money and support local entrepreneurs by patronizing local small-to-medium businesses that are passionate about their products, since they're usually more reasonably priced than imported organic stuff. Lotus Bloom is one example.

Lotus Bloom is run by yoga teacher Joanne, and I learned about the brand thanks to Tita Risa. I have sensitive skin and I've found that my skin, especially my face, works best with natural bar soaps made from virgin coconut oil and oatmeal. Plus, these natural soaps smell fantastic! So much better than commercial mass-produced soaps with artificial scents and ingredients such as SLS and parabens. You can check the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database for the safety ratings of these and other ingredients.





The ingredients of Lotus Bloom soaps are all listed on their website, and they also explain their traditional soapmaking process using cruelty-free vegan ingredients. Here are the ingredients for the variants I ordered (all from their Fragrance Free line):

Fortuna: Made from distilled rainwater, saponified oils of olive, avocado, coconut and palm with  pure shea butter and cocoa butter. 

Aine: Made from distilled rainwater, saponified oils of olive, macadamia, coconut and palm with  cocoa butter and whipped coconut milk.

Sari: Made from distilled rainwater, saponified oils of olive, palm grapeseed and coconut with  finely grounded organic brown rice and organic green tea.
Lotus Bloom's TLC goes not just into the soaps, but also into their relationships with customers. Although I haven't met Joanne in person yet, I sense from our email exchanges that she is a really sweet person. And she is a very accommodating and friendly business owner who responds quickly and enthusiastically to customer inquiries and suggestions. She was kind enough to send me a little gift along with my order-- a cute little Breathe Deeply balm with a heavenly scent. I received my package shortly before my beach trip, and sniffing the balm really helped during the plane ride-- airplanes smell bad to me, and I get slightly dizzy on them too. It also helped decongest my nose and throat when I was experiencing mild allergies. Thank you so much Joanne!

All in all, Lotus Bloom Soaps provide lovingly handmade luxury soaps using top-quality pure natural ingredients packed in eco-friendly cute paper packaging, at the very affordable price range of P120-P150 per soap bar. Joanne puts a lot of passion and care into her products, and it shows. Try it and see for yourself, and let me know how your experience goes.