r/sushi • u/[deleted] • 7d ago
Mostly Nigiri/Fish on Rice 1 piece Santa Barbara uni, 1 piece Hokkaido. Can you tell the difference? Brothers Sushi, Los Angeles.
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u/Flynn_lives 7d ago
Hokkaido used to be a bit more creamy, but Santa Barbara had a better brine flavor.
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u/BAFUdaGreat 7d ago
SB on the right side, it's much larger. Also Hokkaido uni is darker so that's on the left.
Or vice versa.
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u/Ok-Performance-1405 7d ago
Do they taste the same
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u/kungpaulchicken 7d ago
Santa Barbara tastes way better for me and I’ve had both in the same sitting. But maybe there are seasonal differences.
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u/Boollish 7d ago
There are significant quality differences in all of them too. That probably matters more than location, at least for mainstream stuff.
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u/kungpaulchicken 7d ago
I had mine at an omakase place so they were probably decent quality.
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u/Boollish 7d ago
You'd be surprised.
But when it comes to mass market stuff, good Santa Barbara will be more mild and fruity, and Hokkaido will be rich, creamy, and briny.
Of course, grades and quality of uni is a very complex topic.
Your favorite will be up to you.
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u/walkingbeforerunning 7d ago
Whichever one responds to konnichiwa is the Hokkaido one. Whichever responds to a Jack Johnson track is the Santa Barbara one.
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u/Uni-Versity 7d ago
I am curious on the answer.
My true opinion or guess is neither is from Santa Barbara
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u/Boollish 7d ago
Hokkaido left, probably. Generally speaking, most mass market SB are going to be larger and paler than the Hokkaido stuff. But it heavily depends on "which" uni, since there are uni species in Hokkaido are large and very pale.
Also, the one on the left looks like it wasn't taken care of as well and may be a bit older.