Plus, Popular Dishes & How It’s Cooked.

Unagi is a freshwater eel that is loved in Japan, particularly during the summer months. Did you know that this expensive delicacy is poisonous raw and, therefore, must be cooked? Learn the popular dishes and why it’s most enjoyed during hot, summer months.

How is it Cooked?

Kabayaki is the most recognized style of cooking for unagi that dates back to the late 1600s. It is basically a Japanese barbecue in which the eel is grilled with a tare sauce (consisting of a sweet soy glaze). It is served over rice or with a cup of rice on the side.

Like many things in Japan, there is a difference between preparation and cooking styles in Kanto (the Tokyo area) and Kansai (the Osaka, Kyoto area).

Kanto style involves splitting the eel down the back and laying it flat. It is then grilled, then steamed to render off the fat, and then grilled again.

In Kansai, the eel is first sliced to open up the belly, and then it is simply grilled the entire time which makes for a charred taste and crispier texture.

If you love unagi, consider a trip to Hamamatsu where Lake Hamana breeds the eel and the town is filled with local unagi shops.

Popular Unagi Dishes

The unagidon, shortened to unadon, is the most popular dish which is unagi over a bed of rice. If the container is a box specifically for unagidon, that dish is called unaju.

In sushi restaurants and in bento boxes, you can find unagi nigiri which is a slice on top of sushi rice.

Nagoya-style Unagi
In unagi restaurants, called unagi-ya (“ya” in Japanese means restaurants or shop) there is the Nagoya specialty, histumabushi. Compared to unaju, this style features thinly sliced unagi over rice in one bigger lacquer bowl with condiments filling the tray like wasabi, shredded nori, and green onion.

You scoop about a third or quarter at a time into the smaller rice cup. First, you eat it as is – purely eel over rice. For the second serving, you top it with the condiments. And for the final serving, you will pour the tea or broth over the unagi rice to enjoy a rice soup as the final, warm ending.

History of Its Popularity

In Japan, unagi is mostly enjoyed during the hot summer months. While it’s been around for centuries, the seasonal popularity dates back to the 17000s when a local doctor taught his patients and his town that eating this eel would assure a healthy passage through summer and it would prevent illness. There is truth to this because of the eels’ nutrients (which are rich in protein, calcium, and vitamins A, Bs, D, and E). But it was also a way to help out his friend’s unpopular eel shop.

The doctor declared that unagi must be enjoyed on Doyo no ushi no hi, or the Day of the Ox, because eating the dish on that day would bring vitality and strength for the year. People were clearly convinced as unagi really did become a summer dish from that point and even until today.

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