Not everyone eats eel. Maybe because in front of the eel they stop at appearances. Because we know that the eel is not exactly inviting to look at if you think that it is a fish that may appear to be a snake. In reality, eel is part of both the regional tradition of Italian cuisine and that of Japan where different varieties of eel have been popular for hundreds of years. Popular eels include unagi, or freshwater eels, anago, saltwater eels, and hamo, or conger eels.
Not everyone eats eel . Maybe because in front of the eel they stop at appearances. Because we know that the eel is not exactly inviting to look at if you think that it is a fish that may appear to be a snake. In reality, eel is part of both the regional tradition of Italian cuisine and that of Japan where different varieties of eel have been popular for hundreds of years. Popular eels include unagi , or freshwater eels, anago , saltwater eels, and hamo, or conger eels. Unagi eel is particularly prized for its tender, fatty flesh and rich flavor.
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The unagi eel
Unagi eel is found between May and October and is famous on Japanese tables for being an ingredient in summer recipes. It has a very high content of vitamins and minerals, and for this reason it is believed that it can provide the energy necessary to combat summer fatigue. In Japan there is even a day at the peak of summer which is dedicated only to eating eel which is believed to be auspicious during this day. Because in Japan eating eel is a cultural fact.
How to eat eel in Japan
Japanese eel varieties are always eaten cooked, and are often served with very creative platings. They are often served with other dishes that have a more delicate flavor to balance the richness of the eel meat . A very popular seasoning is sansho pepper , a pepper native to Japan with a strong herbaceous flavor that easily cuts through the fatty flavors of eel. Unagi eel can be eaten in tempura or as sushi . There are even special restaurants called unagiya. There are many ways to cook and eat eel , let’s see some of the tastiest ones together.
Unagi Don or Unadon
Unadon is a dish of Japanese origin . It is a bowl of steamed white rice , and finished with unagi eel fillets grilled in a particular style known as kabayaki. The fillets are glazed with a sweet soy -based sauce called tare and caramelized over a charcoal fire. The eel fillets are not scaled and the gray skin part is placed face down. The tare sauce is poured on top so that some of it also reaches the rice below. The sansho pepper is powdered and spread on the surface as a seasoning. The origins of this dish date back to 1800, but obviously today there are different versions. In the Kantō region, unagi eel is steamed before being grilled, which makes the eel even more tender. In a version of the dish called nagayaki, the eel and rice are served separately.
