JAPN Unagi Eel Guide: Kabayaki, Hitsumabushi and Where to Eat
Unagi Eel Guide: Kabayaki, Hitsumabushi and Where to Eat
Unagi Traditions
Unagi (freshwater eel) grilled in the kabayaki style, split, skewered, steamed to soften, then grilled over charcoal while basted with a sweet soy tare sauce, is one of Japan’s most beloved and expensive delicacies. The combination of crispy lacquered skin and tender, fatty flesh has made unagi a summer tradition since the Edo period, when a scholar suggested eating eel on the midsummer day of the ox (doyo no ushi no hi) to combat heat fatigue. Prices have risen dramatically as Japanese eel populations declined, with a standard unajuu (eel over rice in a lacquer box) costing 3,000 to 5,000 yen.
Hitsumabushi, originating in Nagoya, serves grilled eel chopped over rice in a round container with instructions to eat it three ways: plain first, then with condiments of wasabi, nori, and green onions, and finally as ochazuke with hot dashi broth poured over the remaining rice. This progression reveals different dimensions of the eel’s flavor. Atsuta Horaiken near Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya claims to have created the dish in 1873. Unagi Fujita in Tokyo and Kawaei in Narita are other renowned specialists.
Sustainability Note
Wild Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) is critically endangered, and virtually all commercially served unagi comes from farm-raised eel, though these farm eels are grown from wild-caught juveniles since the eel life cycle has not been commercially replicated. Some restaurants note the origin of their eel, and Chinese-farmed eel, which is cheaper and lower quality, is labeled as such when sold at supermarkets and some chain restaurants. The high price of domestic unagi reflects both scarcity and the labor-intensive grilling process that takes years of apprenticeship to master.
When and Where to Eat
Unagi consumption peaks on doyo no ushi no hi, the midsummer ox day in late July or early August when eating eel is believed to provide stamina against summer heat. Restaurant queues on this day can exceed two hours. The two main preparations are kabayaki (butterflied, grilled with sweet tare sauce, the standard serving) and shirayaki (grilled without sauce, with wasabi and soy sauce). Regional preparation differs: Kanto style steams the eel before grilling for a softer texture, while Kansai style grills directly over charcoal for a crispier exterior. Hitsumabushi from Nagoya serves chopped kabayaki over rice in a lacquer container, eaten in three stages: plain, with condiments (wasabi, nori, green onion), and as ochazuke by pouring dashi broth over the rice. Famous unagi restaurants include Obana in Tokyo’s Tsukiji area and Atsuta Horaiken in Nagoya. Expect to pay 2,500 to 5,000 yen for a quality unaju (eel over rice in a lacquer box).
Conservation Concerns
Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) is classified as Endangered by the IUCN, and wild catch has declined by roughly 90 percent since the 1960s. Nearly all eel consumed in Japan is now farmed, primarily in Kagoshima, Aichi, and Miyazaki prefectures, but farming depends on catching wild glass eels (juvenile eels) since the complete eel life cycle has never been reproduced commercially. This dependence on wild juvenile stocks means farmed eel production fluctuates with natural eel populations. Prices reflect scarcity: a quality unaju (eel over rice in a lacquer box) costs 2,500 to 5,000 yen, and prices spike during the summer doyo no ushi no hi consumption peak. Artificial eel products (using surimi fish paste shaped and flavored like eel) have appeared at budget restaurants and convenience stores as lower-cost alternatives.
Related Guides
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