We are in the XNUMXst century, and we can still say that we find “new products” that the market barely knows about and that are being revalued a lot thanks to international markets. In MadeinSpain we know it and it is one of those products that they ask us from Europe

• Very careful fishing
• The Galician hedgehog without a doubt the best in the world
• The international market the next season

The Galician sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) of the echinoderm family is undoubtedly one of the most cared for species in recent years on the Galician coast. From being pasture for the fields as compost (yes, something inconceivable today), to being revered in international markets such as Italian or French. But there is still much to be done for it to be known as it deserves and to have a truly extraordinary range of delicatessen products.

Very careful fishing

But despite the fact that its true value has recently been discovered in the market, things are being done very well in Galicia. Since it is captured by professional air diving techniques from the surface, and can only be extracted with a Exploitation Plan approved by the Ministry of the Sea of ​​the Xunta de Galicia. With limits of about 50kg per crew member per day and about 300kg per boat, and in the area of ​​the Death Coast, where the largest hedgehog catches are made.

The hedgehog season lasts from the months of November to approximately April, and its peak is between January and March, when the gonads (roe) reach their optimum size.

The Galician hedgehog without a doubt the best in the world

A delicacy low in calories and carbohydrates, and rich in protein, iron, phosphorus and vitamin A, and that begins to develop in the kitchens of the most reputable chefs, and above all it has a high demand in France and Italy, since it has practically disappeared from the Mediterranean and Cantabrian coasts, so the Galician hedgehog has greatly appreciated, reaching prices of about € 100 per kilo in Galician markets. And it is calculated that only a maximum yield of 4 to 10% of the specimen can be used, so to obtain 1 kg of sea urchin you need to fish between 10 and 14 kg. And as the demand continues to grow, and the product is scarce, the price does not stop rising.

However, its fishing is very controlled, due to its demanding requirements to do so. The places where you can currently fish are: Ribeira, Lira, Aguiño, Muros, Porto do Son and O Pindo, Aguiño is one of the main suppliers in Galicia.

Due to the characteristics of the Galician coasts, sea urchins can be considered the best in the world, due to their size and flavor, and therefore, we predict the progressive increase in prices, due to the high international demand.

In addition, it is a product as select as it is irreplaceable, pride of Galicia.

The international market the next season

Thanks to the logistical improvements, international markets are getting closer and closer, and this is well known by the Royal Spanish Conservera, which aims precisely towards international conquest, knowing that they choose the best products that Galician waters can provide.

Because if the sea offers the best sea urchin in the world, in "the factory", Royal Spanish Conservera, its artisans, are the true protagonists, who, with their experience and patience, prepare each of the cans, one by one, because the sea urchin caviar deserves it.

The result: one of the most recognized and awarded preserves in the World's Best 101, ranking in the top-4 of the special preserves of the 2020 contest.

Bathed in seawater typical of the same gonads, a homemade broth is added that gives it just the right touch, a product for which we are proud to have in our online gourmet shop, www.madeinspain.store, and for which our international clients are discovering the quality of Galician sea urchin caviar.

AUTHOR: Israel Romero, CEO of Made in Spain Gourmet.