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Ayvalık
is a town on the Aegean coast known for its winds, above all the ozone scented westerly
off the sea and the dry north wind known as the meltem which blows down from the Kaz
Mountains. Among the diverse fish and seafood on sale in this picturesque town, I was
surprised to see sea urchins, that creature so feared by swimmers. Almost everyone has a
story of a near escape from treading on those black spiny balls, and those who have
actually done so can never forget the painful hours during and following extraction of the
sharp spines. So I was surprised to find that the sea urchin is as delicious as it is
dangerous. The edible part is confined to the five ovaries, called corals, which are
regarded as a delicacy in other Mediterranean countries and in the West Indies. In Turkey,
however, the sea urchin is caught and eaten only around Ayvalık.
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Wandering along streets lined by attractive buildings in neo-classical style in
Ayvalık and the nearby island of Cunda attached to the island by a causeway, you make
your way down to the waterfront, with its restaurants, tea gardens and fishermen. I was
drawn first to the fishermen, who go out at dawn and are back with their catch by the time
the day has started for most holidaymakers. If you get up early enough you can watch the
catch being unloaded, the nets packed away, and the sea urchins being prepared.
Prospective buyers wait patiently around them for their turn.I decided to join one of the
fishing boats on their sea urchin gathering expeditions, and early one bright spring
morning I boarded Hüseyin’s fishing boat. As we sailed through the sparkling dark blue
water of the Aegean, Hüseyin told me that just a few fishermen in Ayvalık specialise in
sea urchins. He had inherited the trade from his father, and his father from his
father-in-law before him. |
He
explained that catching sea urchins is confined to Ayvalık, where the restaurants serve
them as an appetiser. Soon we had arrived at the chosen hunting ground, and stopping the
engine Hüseyin got out a long forked pole. These poles are made of bamboo or aluminium so
that they are light to wield. With this he prised the sea urchins off the rocks to which
they clung or off the bottom where they lay half covered in the sand, tossing each into a
basket. Apparently the sea urchins can remain alive for 24 hours after being caught. In
Turkish, sea urchins are called denizkestanesi, meaning ‘sea chestnuts’, from the
resemblance of their shells to a chestnut. The delicate and decorative shells in green,
brown, purple and other colours are only revealed when the black spines are removed.
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Professional
sea urchin hunters collect only the largest mature specimens. On windy days the corals are
affected by the waves, and take several days of calm weather to regain the necessary firm
texture, so the fishermen must wait for the appropriate time. In winter the corals are
larger, so that twenty-five to thirty sea urchins fill a jar.When the basket was full, it
was time to return to harbour and clean the sea urchins in the cool of the early morning.
The fishermen either do the job in their moored boats or back home in their gardens, and
preparing them requires as much skill as the hunting. |
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knife or special scissors are used to open the shells, and then the yellow-orange corals
are removed and placed in small jars. Some sea urchins reveal a milky substance inside,
and these corals apparently have the finest flavour. The filled jars then go on sale
beside the fish.Sea urchin hunting is popular with local people, and in Pateriça, one of
the loveliest bays on Cunda, with the Ayışığı Monastery nestling in the green forest
overlooking the bay, we saw people dressed in overalls hunting for sea urchins with forked
poles in hand. The catch was placed in plastic bowls. One of these was Mehmet Bey, who was
there picnicking with his family. He told us that they either eat them with the picnic, or
take the sea urchins home, clean them and pack them in plastic bags for later consumption.
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When
you are in the area, wait for sundown and choose a table in one of the restaurants on
Cunda. As you look out over the sea to Ayvalık and the scattered islands, you can savour
papalina and the other delicious dishes of Cretan origin (most of Ayvalık’s inhabitants
came originally from Crete), and a plate of sea urchin corals with a dressing of olive oil
and lemon juice. As you sip your drink, the fragrant Aegean breeze will murmur songs of
happiness as you enjoy a meal you will never forget.
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