Sea pineapple
Encyclopedia
The sea pineapple is an edible ascidian
(sea squirt
) consumed primarily in Korea
, where it is known as meongge (멍게), and to a lesser extent in Japan
, where it is known as or .
Sea pineapples are known for both their peculiar appearance, described by journalist Nick Tosches
as "something that could exist only in a purely hallucinatory eco-system" and their peculiar taste, described as "something like iodine" and "rubber dipped in ammonia." However, aficionados claim that the taste is well suited to serving with sake. The flavor has been attributed to an unsaturated alcohol called cynthiaol, which is present in minute quantities.
In Korea, sea pineapple is mostly eaten raw as hoe
with vinegared gochujang
, but it is also often pickled into jeotgal
, or used to add flavor to kimchi
.
In Japan, sea pineapple is most commonly eaten raw as sashimi
, simply by slicing the animal vertically, removing the internal organs and serving them with vinegared soy sauce
. It is also sometimes salted, smoked, grilled, deep-fried, or dried.
Sea pineapples live in shallow water, usually attached to rocks and artificial structures, an example of marine biofouling
. Halocynthia roretzi is adapted to cold water: it can survive in water temperatures between 2–24 °C (35.6–75.2 °F), but optimum temperature is around 12 °C (53.6 °F).
Aquaculture
of sea pineapples first succeeded in 1982, when 39 metric tons were produced in Korea. Production reached a peak of 42,800 tons in 1994. The FAO
estimates that total world sea pineapple production in 2006 was 21,500 tons, worth around US$18 million. Of this, 16,000 tons were cultivated in Japan, including 12,163 tons in Miyagi prefecture
alone. A similar species (Pyura chilensis) is also used as food in Chile
.
Ascidiacea
Ascidiacea is a class in the Tunicata subphylum of sac-like marine invertebrate filter feeders. Ascidians are characterized by a tough outer "tunic" made of the polysaccharide tunicin, as compared to other tunicates which are less rigid.Ascidians are found all over the world, usually in shallow...
(sea squirt
Tunicate
Tunicates, also known as urochordates, are members of the subphylum Tunicata, previously known as Urochordata, a group of underwater saclike filter feeders with incurrent and excurrent siphons that is classified within the phylum Chordata. While most tunicates live on the ocean floor, others such...
) consumed primarily in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, where it is known as meongge (멍게), and to a lesser extent in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where it is known as or .
Sea pineapples are known for both their peculiar appearance, described by journalist Nick Tosches
Nick Tosches
Nick Tosches is an American journalist, novelist, biographer, and poet of Albanian and Italian descent.- Life :After different odd-jobs, Tosches started writing with poetry and rock-'n'-roll magazines, including Creem, Fusion, and Rolling Stone.Tosches' second book, a biography of Jerry Lee Lewis...
as "something that could exist only in a purely hallucinatory eco-system" and their peculiar taste, described as "something like iodine" and "rubber dipped in ammonia." However, aficionados claim that the taste is well suited to serving with sake. The flavor has been attributed to an unsaturated alcohol called cynthiaol, which is present in minute quantities.
In Korea, sea pineapple is mostly eaten raw as hoe
Hoe (dish)
Hoe may refer to various raw food dishes in Korean cuisine. Saengseon hoe or "Hwal-eo hoe" is thinly sliced raw fish or other raw seafood ; yukhoe is hoe made with a raw beef and seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine; and gan hoe is raw beef liver with a sauce of sesame oil and...
with vinegared gochujang
Gochujang
Gochujang is a savory and pungent fermented Korean condiment. Traditionally, it has been naturally fermented over years in large earthen pots outdoors, more often on an elevated stone platform, called jangdokdae in the backyard...
, but it is also often pickled into jeotgal
Jeotgal
Jeotgal or jeot is a salted fermented food in Korean cuisine. It is made with various seafood, such as shrimp, oysters, shellfish, fish, fish eggs, and fish intestines....
, or used to add flavor to kimchi
Kimchi
Kimchi , also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, green onions or cucumber. It is the most common...
.
In Japan, sea pineapple is most commonly eaten raw as sashimi
Sashimi
Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy. It consists of very fresh raw meat, most commonly fish, sliced into thin pieces.-Origin:The word sashimi means "pierced body", i.e...
, simply by slicing the animal vertically, removing the internal organs and serving them with vinegared soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
. It is also sometimes salted, smoked, grilled, deep-fried, or dried.
Sea pineapples live in shallow water, usually attached to rocks and artificial structures, an example of marine biofouling
Biofouling
Biofouling or biological fouling is the undesirable accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, or animals on wetted structures.-Impact:...
. Halocynthia roretzi is adapted to cold water: it can survive in water temperatures between 2–24 °C (35.6–75.2 °F), but optimum temperature is around 12 °C (53.6 °F).
Aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
of sea pineapples first succeeded in 1982, when 39 metric tons were produced in Korea. Production reached a peak of 42,800 tons in 1994. The FAO
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
estimates that total world sea pineapple production in 2006 was 21,500 tons, worth around US$18 million. Of this, 16,000 tons were cultivated in Japan, including 12,163 tons in Miyagi prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
alone. A similar species (Pyura chilensis) is also used as food in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.