New Zealand

Kina is what Māori people call the species Evechinus chloroticus - a name also adopted as its English common name. Kina is a species of sea urchin endemic to, and the species most commonly found in, New Zealand. Traditionally, kina is eaten raw straight from the sea. This urchin has a reputation for being particularly bitter to taste. It is traditional knowledge that the tkōwhai plant blossoming in spring or the pōhutukawa plant blossoming in summer indicate when kina has the best flavor. In Māori culture, kina and other shellfish were traditionally gathered by women, while men hunted fish (Vennell 2022).