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Apparently sea cucumbers are quite a delicacy in many Asian countries. I was wondering if anyone knows of good places to try konoko (dried sea cucumber gonads) and konowata (salted intestines) in Japan, or if there are good places to purchase them?

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  • Any particular cities? It's q uite a big country...
    – Mark Mayo
    May 24, 2015 at 23:26
  • @MarkMayo where do you think the best places for seafood would be? The Tsuikiji fish markets in Tokyo? Hiroshima?
    – Michael Lai
    May 24, 2015 at 23:38
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    Almost everywhere I went I enjoyeed it. Fresh seafood sushi in Kanazawa was my favourite.
    – Mark Mayo
    May 25, 2015 at 1:21
  • @MarkMayo But did you see sea cucumbers sold in Kanazawa as well?
    – Michael Lai
    May 25, 2015 at 2:14
  • Can't remember, otherwise I'd have put an answer, sorry.
    – Mark Mayo
    May 25, 2015 at 2:23

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Konoko (more commonly kuchiko) and konowata are both examples of chinmi, strong-tasting delicacies intended to be eaten in small quantities as an accompaniment to liquor. There thus aren't any restaurants that specialize in them, they're more the kind of thing you will (or will not) find on a rotating menu of today's specials. But here is one random manufacturer, Kikumoto, which makes and sells both online, from ¥1800:

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(Yum yum! Konowata on the left, konoko on the right. Publicity photo courtesy of Kikumoto.)

And a personal note: I consider myself a reasonably adventurous eater, but konowata holds my record for being the most disgusting thing I have ever had the misfortune of sampling: merely licking the tip of a chopstick was enough to trigger the gag reflex. Many Western travellers to Japan have the same reaction to most types of shiokara, the class of fermented fish gut pickles that both konowata and kuchiko exemplify.

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  • Does it mean that you can't find them at supermarkets in Japan? Seems like if you can buy it online then there should be shops selling them too?
    – Michael Lai
    May 24, 2015 at 23:49
  • You can find them at a larger supermarket or a seafood specialist, but I wouldn't expect the average corner store to have either, these are both kind of expensive and unusual even in Japan. But I'm sure you could find both easily in eg. Tsukiji.
    – lambshaanxy
    May 25, 2015 at 0:00

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