Where can I try konoko and konowata in Japan?
Apparently sea cucumbers are quite a delicacy in many Asian countries. I was wondering if anyone knows of good places to try konoko (dried sea cucumber gonads) and konowata (salted intestines) in Japan, or if there are good places to purchase them?
Best Answer
Konoko (more commonly kuchiko) and konowata are both examples of chinmi, strong-tasting delicacies intended to be eaten in small quantities as an accompaniment to liquor. There thus aren't any restaurants that specialize in them, they're more the kind of thing you will (or will not) find on a rotating menu of today's specials. But here is one random manufacturer, Kikumoto, which makes and sells both online, from ¥1800:
(Yum yum! Konowata on the left, konoko on the right. Publicity photo courtesy of Kikumoto.)
And a personal note: I consider myself a reasonably adventurous eater, but konowata holds my record for being the most disgusting thing I have ever had the misfortune of sampling: merely licking the tip of a chopstick was enough to trigger the gag reflex. Many Western travellers to Japan have the same reaction to most types of shiokara, the class of fermented fish gut pickles that both konowata and kuchiko exemplify.
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Do people eat sea cucumber ovaries?
Kuchiko can be eaten by itself, or toasted and placed in soup or warmed sake. Usually, raw kuchiko is pickled and sold as salted kuchiko, but sometimes, the ovaries are simply removed from the sea cucumbers, bottled and sold 'raw'. It is ideal as a side dish for sake.What is sea cucumber ovaries?
Thin thread-formed ovaries are hung on rope and formed into triangles with chopsticks. Since the shape resembles a pick (bachi) for the shamisen, it is also called bachiko. It is usually prepared by roasting it lightly. It is ideal as a dish for sake; the pungent taste of the ocean spreads in the mouth at every bite.How do sea cucumbers reproduce?
Reproduction and Life CycleSea cucumbers spawn by releasing eggs and sperm into the water, where the eggs are fertilized. During spawning, sea cucumbers develop a cobra-like appearance, with their front end raised up from the bottom. Larvae spend several weeks floating in the water.Kyoto Japan Street Food Tour! Nishiki Market
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