SEA CUCUMBERS

Sea Cucumbers are found below the low tide line in deep
water. They may be buried in sand or hidden under rock ledges.
These soft sea animals are approximately nine inches in length
and resemble a garden cucumber. Sea cucumbers should be
prepared soon after gathering as they begin to bloat after being
removed trom the ocean.

SEA CUCUMBERS 3
Ed Hunt, Maggie Innes, Beatrice Brown — Bella Bella
Lilv and Diane Brown — Skidegate

Diane Brown's method of preparing sea cucumbers is as foliows:

1. String a few cucumbers on a thin, cedar stick by pushing
the stick through their heads.

2. Push the cucumbers to one end of the stick, and holding
the other end, rub the cucumbers over barnacles to scrape
off their outer skin.

3 Cut off the heads beneath the ‘flower’ where the sea
cucumbers are smaller around. |

4. Squeeze out the viscera.

5. Boil the cucumbers until tender, approximately one hour
in a large saucepan.

6 Slit the body lengthwise and rinse the meat with cold water.

Some of the Bella Bella people said they ate the whole

cucumbers; other people preferred only the white noodle-like

tissue running lengthwise inside the body. These strands are
fried before serving.

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PRAWNS

Prawns are sca animals which occasionally are part of the
Indian diet.

To Prepare Maggie Innes -
Bella Bella

Slip off the heads.

2. Steam for five to ten minutes. —
3. When cool enough to hold, pull the shell trom the meat.
4. Serve a bow! of steamed prawns with a bowl of culachon

grease. Dip the meat in the grease before cating.
If desired, the prawn meat may be dipped in pancake
batter and decp fried in vegetable oil.

SEA URCHINS

Sea Urchins or Sea Eggs, as they are often called, can be
easily recognized by their spincy shells. Long spines are attached
to a round shell which has a slightly flattened bottom. In the
bottom of the shell is a round hole with five pointed “teeth”,
Sea Urchins are usually red or purple in colour.

To break open the prickly shell, place your thumbs in the
centre hole and your fingers on the top of the shell between the
spines. Pull the shell apart, breaking it away from you. If the
shellis difficult to break, a sharp rock may be used to smash the
shell along an imaginary centre line.

Only the roc sacs of the sea urchins are caten. The roe sacs
are strips of orange tissue that are located on the inner surface
of the shell running from top to bottom. Remove the sacs,
rinse them and eat raw. They have a mild, buttery, slightly
salty flavour and are a favourite food of many coastal people.
A platter of raw sca eggs is often included at tribal banquets.

For those who prefer their sea foods cooked, the roc sacs
of the sea urchin may be breaded and fried.

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