What is Unagi?

Fans of the TV show will likely recognise the word ‘unagi’ from the episode ‘The One With Unagi’ in which Ross believes the word to mean ‘a state of total awareness’. In actuality, the word does, in fact, mean freshwater eel and tends to refer to Japanese eel specifically.

Unagi has featured within Japanese cuisine for thousands of years. It is predominantly eaten during the warmer summer months, so the dish is often included as part of Doyo-no-ushi-no-hi, or Day of the Ox celebrations, which tend to fall between mid-July and early August. Unagi has some great health benefits, with a high level of protein, as well as vitamins A and E. Due to this, it is thought to boost stamina, which contributes to why it is eaten in hot weather when people need a little extra energy.

How is Unagi Prepared?

The most common way of preparing unagi is as a dish known as unagi-no-kabayaki, which sees fillets of the eel glazed with a sweet sauce and grilled. This dish is usually served either on a skewer like a kebab or atop some steamed white rice.

When cooked correctly, unagi should be crispy on the outside but tender on the inside. While this is the goal texture, the actual cooking process differs depending on the region in Japan it is cooked in. In eastern Japan, chefs opt to steam the fillets after they have been grilled in order to remove any excess fat. The slices of eel are then coated in the sweet glaze and popped back on the grill. In Western Japan, the steaming step is skipped in favour of grilling the eel for longer as a way to burn excess fat. This slight difference in cooking style makes unagi dishes in eastern Japan a little more succulent, whereas those prepared in western Japan will have a crispier skin.

The exact flavours of the unagi will depend on two factors: the sauce used and the charcoal it is grilled on. The exact ingredients of the sauce will vary between restaurants, but it will always have a sweet taste. When the eel is grilled over charcoal, the charcoal imparts a wonderful smoky quality to the dish. Again, this taste will depend on the type and quality of charcoal used by each restaurant. It is generally agreed that the hard oak charcoal from central Japan is the best for this.

Many high-end restaurants that serve unagi will keep a tank of live eels, allowing the dish to be freshly prepared with each order. For those wanting to replicate the dish at home in Japan, supermarkets will often stock vacuum-sealed packs of unagi-no-kabayaki.

In addition to unagi-no-kabayaki, unagi is also used in a number of other Japanese dishes. Unagidon sees the eel simply sliced and served over a dish of rice. Unagi is also often used in sushi dishes and is known as unakyu when combined in a roll with cucumber.

If you want to try any Japanese seafood dishes, check out the range of oriental frozen fish we have available online!