| Urechis unicinctus | |
|---|---|
| Urechis Unicinctus as served in a restaurant in Korea. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Subkingdom: | Eumetazoa |
| Superphylum: | Lophotrochozoa |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Class: | Echiura |
| Order: | Xenopneusta |
| Family: | Urechidae |
| Genus: | Urechis |
| Species: | U. unicinctus |
| Binomial name | |
| Urechis unicinctus von Drasche, 1881 |
|
Urechis unicinctus (pinyin: hai chang)(Korean: 개불 (gaebul)) is a species of marine spoon worm. There is no official English word for this species.
U. unicinctus, like other Urechis, live in burrows in sand and mud.
This spoon worm is commonly eaten raw Japan and especially Korea.[1] This is also used for fishing bait.
In Chinese cuisine the worm is cooked stir-fried with vegetables, or dried and powdered to be used as an umami enhancer. In particular, the worm is considered an important ingredient int Shandong cuisine and has numerous recipes for using it.