{"id":1732,"date":"2026-07-16T21:04:42","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T12:04:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/uni-murasaki-bafun-guide\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T21:04:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T12:04:43","slug":"uni-murasaki-bafun-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/uni-murasaki-bafun-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Uni Divides Diners: Murasaki, Bafun and the Alum Question"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<style>\n.tsa{--ink:#1c1a17;--muted:#6f685c;--gold:#c4a44c;--gold-deep:#59502a;--cream:#faf8f3;--sand:#f3eee3;--line:#e7e0d1;\n--serif:var(--swl-font_family,\"Noto Serif JP\",Georgia,serif);--sans:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,\"Helvetica Neue\",\"Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN\",Meiryo,sans-serif;\nfont-family:var(--serif);color:var(--ink);line-height:1.95;font-size:16.5px}\n.tsa *{box-sizing:border-box}\n#main_content .p-toc,#main_content .swell-toc-placeholder{display:none!important}\n.tsa 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2px 4px,#e5cf94 4px 6px,transparent 6px 8px,#e5cf94 8px 10px)}\n  .tsa-toc-cb:checked ~ .tsa-side .tsa-toc-fab{display:none}\n  .tsa-toc-close{display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;position:sticky;top:0;background:#fff;padding-bottom:8px;margin-bottom:4px}\n  .tsa-toc-close .x{font-family:var(--sans);font-size:24px;font-weight:300;color:var(--muted);cursor:pointer;line-height:1;padding:0 4px}\n}\n\n\n@media (max-width:999px){\nhtml body #body_wrap{overflow-x:hidden}\nhtml body #main_content article,html body #main_content>div>div>div{margin-left:0!important;padding-left:0!important}\nhtml body #main_content,html body .l-mainContent__inner,html body .post_content{max-width:100%!important;overflow-x:hidden}\n.tsa,.tsa-main,.tsa-layout{max-width:100%;min-width:0;overflow-wrap:break-word}\n.tsa{padding-bottom:72px}\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"tsa\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Article\">\n<meta itemprop=\"inLanguage\" content=\"en\">\n<meta itemprop=\"headline\" content=\"Why Uni Divides Diners: Murasaki, Bafun and the Alum Question\">\n<meta itemprop=\"datePublished\" content=\"2026-07-16\">\n<meta itemprop=\"dateModified\" content=\"2026-07-16\">\n<span itemprop=\"author publisher\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\" style=\"display:none\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"The Tokyo Sushi Guide by Sushi Tanji\"><\/span>\n<div class=\"tsa-layout\">\n<main class=\"tsa-main\">\n\n<div class=\"tsa-meta\">\n  <span>Part of <a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/tokyo-sushi-guide\/\"><b>The Tokyo Sushi Guide<\/b><\/a><\/span>\n  <span>Reviewed by <b>Tatsuo Takada<\/b><\/span>\n  <span>Updated <b><time datetime=\"2026-07-16\">July 16, 2026<\/time><\/b><\/span>\n  <span>Reading time <b>about 6 minutes<\/b><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"lead\" itemprop=\"description\">Few sushi toppings make so lasting a first impression as uni (sea urchin). For some, that first piece becomes a memory of melting sweetness; for others, only the bitterness stays. Here we look at the difference between murasaki and bafun, at a preservation treatment called <b>alum<\/b> that is often behind the bitterness, plus the choice between the gunkan roll and laying uni straight on the rice, in the hope that you might meet uni afresh.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"tsa-learn\">\n  <p class=\"t\">What you will learn<\/p>\n  <ul><li>How murasaki and bafun sea urchin differ in colour and sweetness<\/li><li>The alum treatment behind the idea that uni is bitter, plus how salt-water uni differs<\/li><li>Why the gunkan roll was invented, plus what a chef intends by laying uni straight on the rice<\/li><li>Hokkaido uni at its July peak, together with the kelp-rich waters that raise it<\/li><li>How to choose your next piece if the first one left you unsure<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 id=\"divide\">Few Toppings Divide Opinion Quite Like Uni<\/h2>\n<p>Few sushi toppings divide opinion quite like uni. Some diners are captivated by its melting sweetness, while others tried it once and quietly decided it was not for them. As it happens, the split has its reasons.<\/p>\n<p>Uni changes character with its species, its origin, plus how it is handled once landed. The first piece you happen to taste all but settles your impression. If your memory of uni is a bitter one, a different piece can redraw the whole landscape.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"types\">Murasaki and Bafun: Two Faces of Uni<\/h2>\n<p>At a sushi counter, the two kinds you are most likely to meet are <b>murasaki uni<\/b> (purple sea urchin) and <b>bafun uni<\/b> (short-spined sea urchin). Murasaki has pale yellow lobes, rather large in the grain, with a clean, refined sweetness. Bafun is a deep orange, smaller in the grain, carrying the scent of the shore alongside a rich, full-bodied sweetness.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tblwrap\"><table><thead><tr><th>Type<\/th><th>Colour and grain<\/th><th>Character of the sweetness<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Murasaki uni<\/td><td>Pale yellow with a larger grain<\/td><td>Clean, refined sweetness<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Bafun uni<\/td><td>Deep orange with a smaller grain<\/td><td>Rich, full-bodied sweetness<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>\n<p>Neither ranks above the other; it is a question of taste and of pairing. If rich flavours are not your natural territory, beginning with murasaki&#8217;s gentler sweetness tends to change the picture.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"myoban\">The Source of the Bitterness: A Word About Alum<\/h2>\n<p>The memory that uni is bitter can very often be traced to a preservative called <b>alum<\/b>. Sea urchin lobes are remarkably fragile, so the uni arranged on wooden trays is usually dipped in an alum solution to keep its shape. When the treatment is heavy, it can linger on the tongue as an astringent, faintly medicinal bitterness.<\/p>\n<p><b>Salt-water uni<\/b>, by contrast, travels afloat in brine close to seawater. The lobes give up a little of their shape yet keep a sweetness near to the moment of landing. In recent years, more sushi restaurants have chosen to serve it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tsa-point\"><b>The heart of it:<\/b> A bitter memory often owes less to the sea urchin itself than to the astringency of its preservation.<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"gunkan\">Gunkan or Straight on the Rice: Two Good Reasons<\/h2>\n<p>For many, uni means the gunkan (battleship roll), the form wrapped in a band of nori (toasted seaweed). It is a relatively recent invention, born in the Sh\u014dwa era as a way to keep a fragile topping settled on the shari (seasoned rice). The toasted fragrance of the nori flatters the sweetness of the uni, so the form makes quiet, perfect sense.<\/p>\n<p>When the lobes are firm, though, some chefs set the nori aside and lay the uni directly on the rice, a style called jika-nose. With no seaweed in between, the uni and the red-vinegar shari meet as one. Which way it arrives usually comes down to how the day&#8217;s lobes are looking.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"summer\">July: The Northern Seas Come Into Season<\/h2>\n<p>The season shifts with species and origin, but at Tokyo counters it is Hokkaido uni that comes into its own in summer. Ezo-bafun and kita-murasaki urchins reach their peak from June through August. Raised in the kelp-rich waters of Rishiri, Rebun and Shakotan, the lobes are at their very best in July.<\/p>\n<p>At omakase counters that gather the seasons from across Japan, a dispatch from the northern sea often joins the summer menu. For a restaurant such as Sushi Tanji in Tokyo&#8217;s Oku-Akasaka, which follows the seasons nationwide with Kyushu as its axis, summer is when the map of the sea stretches north.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"again\">Meeting Uni Again<\/h2>\n<p>If uni once put you off, a small change in how you choose can make all the difference. Look for the words salt-water uni on the label; favour pieces whose origin is named. At an omakase counter, it is perfectly fine to mention that uni has never quite won you over. The chef may study the day&#8217;s lobes and offer, say, a pale murasaki laid straight on the rice.<\/p>\n<p>There is no need to brace yourself. Uni is a topping of real depth \u2014 each lobe reflects the sea that raised it. When an old bitterness loosens its hold, a summer at the counter gains one more pleasure.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<div class=\"tsa-faq\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\"><details itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><summary itemprop=\"name\">Why does uni sometimes taste bitter?<\/summary><div class=\"a\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\"><p>In most cases the bitterness comes from the alum treatment used to keep the lobes from collapsing. When the treatment is heavy, it can linger as astringency on the tongue. Salt-water uni, along with lightly treated lobes, rarely carries this bitterness.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><summary itemprop=\"name\">Murasaki or bafun: which should I try first?<\/summary><div class=\"a\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\"><p>It comes down to taste, though those wary of rich flavours often begin with murasaki for its clean, refined sweetness. If you are drawn to the scent of the shore plus a deeper richness, bafun will suit you well.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><summary itemprop=\"name\">When is uni in season?<\/summary><div class=\"a\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\"><p>It varies with species and origin. Hokkaido&#8217;s ezo-bafun and kita-murasaki urchins peak from June through August. Because the harvest moves from place to place, each part of the year brings uni from a different sea.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><summary itemprop=\"name\">Should I dip an uni gunkan in soy sauce?<\/summary><div class=\"a\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\"><p>At an omakase counter it usually arrives already seasoned with nikiri (brushed soy) or salt, so feel free to enjoy it just as it is. A tilted gunkan tends to spill, which makes taking it exactly as served the easiest way.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tsa-cta\">\n  <p class=\"k\">From the guide to the counter<\/p>\n  <h3>Taste it at our eight-seat counter in Oku-Akasaka.<\/h3>\n  <p>Classic Edomae craft with careful modern aging &#8211; served piece by piece, with English guidance for overseas guests.<\/p>\n  <a class=\"btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tablecheck.com\/en\/shops\/sushi-tanji\/reserve\" rel=\"noopener\">Reserve at Sushi Tanji<\/a>\n  <a class=\"sub\" href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/tokyo-sushi-guide\/\">Explore The Tokyo Sushi Guide<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tsa-chef\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_4764.jpg\" alt=\"Tatsuo Takada, head chef and owner of Sushi Tanji, at the counter\" loading=\"lazy\" itemprop=\"image\">\n  <div>\n    <p class=\"k\">Reviewed by<\/p>\n    <b><a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/introduction-of-chef\/\" itemprop=\"url\"><span itemprop=\"name\">Tatsuo Takada<\/span><\/a><\/b>\n    <meta itemprop=\"jobTitle\" content=\"Head Chef &amp; Owner, Sushi Tanji\">\n    <span itemprop=\"worksFor\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Restaurant\" style=\"display:none\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Oku-Akasaka Sushi Tanji\"><\/span>\n    <p itemprop=\"description\">Head chef and owner of Sushi Tanji. Trained in the Edomae tradition and rooted in Kyushu, he leads the eight-seat omakase counter in Oku-Akasaka, Tokyo, and reviews The Tokyo Sushi Guide.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tsa-rel\">\n  <p class=\"t\">Continue the guide<\/p>\n  <ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/tokyo-omakase-price-guide\/\">How Much Does Omakase Cost in Tokyo? A Realistic Price Guide<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/hon-wasabi-kako-wasabi-guide\/\">Real or Processed Wasabi: What You Taste at a Tokyo Counter<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/sushi-counter-no-soy-sauce-nikiri\/\">No Soy Sauce Dish at the Counter: Nikiri, the Final Stroke<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/category\/fish-encyclopedia\/\">More in fish encyclopedia<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/main>\n<input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"tsatoc\" class=\"tsa-toc-cb\">\n<aside class=\"tsa-side\">\n<label class=\"tsa-toc-fab\" for=\"tsatoc\" aria-label=\"Open contents\"><span>Contents<\/span><\/label>\n<nav class=\"tsa-toc-box\" aria-label=\"Contents\">\n<div class=\"tsa-toc-close\"><span class=\"tsa-toc-ttl\">Contents<\/span><label class=\"x\" for=\"tsatoc\" aria-label=\"Close\">\u00d7<\/label><\/div>\n<ol><li><a href=\"#divide\">Few Toppings Divide Opinion Quite Like Uni<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#types\">Murasaki and Bafun: Two Faces of Uni<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#myoban\">The Source of the Bitterness: A Word About Alum<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#gunkan\">Gunkan or Straight on the Rice: Two Good Reasons<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#summer\">July: The Northern Seas Come Into Season<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#again\">Meeting Uni Again<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n<\/nav><\/aside>\n<label class=\"tsa-toc-backdrop\" for=\"tsatoc\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/label>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Few sushi toppings divide diners like uni. Learn how murasaki differs from bafun, why alum can taste bitter, plus how to give sea urchin another chance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1713,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"swell_btn_cv_data":"","_bmp_alt_url":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/uni-murasaki-bafun-guide\/","footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fish-encyclopedia"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 4.9.10 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Few sushi toppings divide diners like uni. 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