Hokkaido Uni — Female-Only Boxes
Something rare arrived with this week's shipment: female-only Uni boxes, 230–250g per box.
Most Uni is sold as a mixed box — male and female lobes together — because sorting by sex requires an additional step at the packing facility that most producers don't take. Receiving boxes sorted to female-only is uncommon. When it does happen, the difference is immediately visible and worth knowing about before you order.
Female Uni is the deep reddish-orange you'll recognize from most high-end sushi counters. Higher moisture content, the characteristic melt on the palate, and a flavor that leans sweet and oceanic. If you've had great Uni and remembered it as creamy and delicate — you were most likely eating female. No or little alum treatment.
These won't last through the week. If you're considering it, order early. More on the male vs. female distinction is on the Hokkaido Uni page if you want the full comparison.
AAPI Fish & Wine Pairing — A Recap
The event is done. Thank you to everyone who came out over the two days — at Rice Market on Saturday and at Transpacific Future Center on Sunday. And to Akiko, Sonoe, and Jen for making the weekend what it was.
The menu on our side:
- Bluefin Tuna Akami Zuke (漬け) — soy-marinated Akami
- Bluefin Tuna Otoro Aburi — lightly torched Otoro
- Hotaruika with Aya's Culture Kitchen's Koji Miso
- Sasshu Salmon marinated in olive oil with dill and Kombu
A few notes from tasting the leftover bottles after the event — I didn't have time to drink during the event itself:
Six Cloves Wines — Sonoe Hirabayashi (@sixcloveswines)
The 2024 Cabernet Sauvignon surprised me. Cabernet from California tends toward the bold and ripe — this was quiet, elegant, and precise. In a mirror universe where Robert Parker had opposite taste preferences, this could be the top Bordeaux quality. Lovely. Sonoe's fermentation background comes through in wines that are built for food rather than for the tasting note.
Shiba Wichern Cellars — Akiko Shiba (@shibawichern)
The 2023 Auxerrois from Havlin Vineyard is noticeably more intense than the 2022. The 2023 yield was very low — not enough fruit to press on its own — so the Auxerrois was pressed after the Pinot Noir Rosé, with the remaining pomace still in the press providing enough volume to work. That extra contact deepens and concentrates the wine. Worth knowing when you open a bottle.
Novella Wines — Jennifer Dasom Anderson (@novellawines)
Jen's wines changed something for me about Virginia wine. My expectation going in was modest — we tend to pay for the tourism rather than the quality. What I found was beautifully structured, calm, and deeply food-friendly wine. Not electric, not sharply acidic. But next to fish — especially something with a little acidity in the preparation — it made complete sense. Exactly what you want next to sushi or kimchi.
All bottles poured at the event are available at Rice Market, which carries a dedicated section for all three producers. ricedc.com/beverage →
One footnote: a storm hit the Chicago area on Monday and delayed the winemakers' return flights. They're all home safely now. Events like this ask more of the people who come in from out of town than the ticket price reflects — grateful they made the trip.
Negitoro Making Classes — May 30 & 31
We've added two new Negitoro Making Classes at Rice Market lower floor — Saturday May 30 and Sunday May 31, both at 2:00 pm.
The class is hands-on: you'll work with Sujitoro — the sinew-rich cut typically set aside from sashimi service — and learn to scrape the rich meat from sinew to make authentic Negitoro from real Bluefin. No experience needed. Most tuna tartar you encounter at restaurants isn't made this way. This is.
May 30 Tickets May 31 Tickets