Eel

Eel is called “unagi” in Japanese. Unagi is considered a luxury food in Japan. It’s not something you would eat every day but rather something you might indulge in on occasions when you want to treat yourself.

The most common way to eat unagi is grilled with a sweet sauce called kabayaki. Unagi is tender and juicy, and the rice is also flavored with the same sweet sauce as the grilled eel. When you put a piece of unagi and rice together in your mouth, the tender eel flakes apart, mixing with the sweet rice and sauce, creating an exquisite taste.

Unagi pairs well with a spice called “sansho” (which may be sprinkled on top or served separately). It’s somewhat similar to pepper, but be careful not to sprinkle too much, as it can become slightly salty. However, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how well unagi and sansho complement each other!

When ordering unagi, there are different grades referred to as “matsu, take, ume” or “sho, chiku, bai”, or “nami, jo, tokujo”. “Ume” and “tokujo” are the highest grades. Generally, a higher grade means a larger portion of unagi and rice, so there’s usually not much variation in the type of eel and rice used.

Additionally, when ordering unagi, it’s common to be served a clear soup called “osuimono”, often accompanied by a soup containing the liver of the eel, called “kimo-sui”

“Kimo-sui,” unlike miso soup, does not contain miso. The main component is the dashi broth, making it lighter than miso soup. It might look a bit grotesque with the “eel liver” in it, but it’s something you can definitely enjoy. If you’re not a fan of the liver, you can leave it aside, and still enjoy the soup. Please do try just the soup; the aroma of the broth is invigorating, with rich umami flavors condensed within.

Looking at a photo of an eel might be a bit surprising, but its deliciousness is something you can’t imagine just from the picture, so I encourage you to give it a try!

Typically, you would eat unagi at specialized restaurants. While it may be available at convenience stores or supermarkets, it’s usually only for a limited time. Therefore, try to find a specialized restaurant. You should be able to find unagi restaurants throughout Japan, but they are not very common. Make full use of Google Maps restaurant search to find one!