Eel decision may have big impact on traditional Japanese dishーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS
The decision is going to have a big impact on one of Japan’s most beloved dishes. NHK’s Yoshikawa Yuichi visited the restaurant east of Tokyo to see how it is trying to keep the country’s eel appetite alive. When you hear the words Japanese cuisine, what do you think of? Sushi, ramen, or maybe tempera? Yeah, they’re all good. But you can’t forget this. Delicious eel known in Japanese as unagi. It’s long been a staple of Japanese cooking. First, the eel is cut open and grilled. Chefs spent years learning the exact temperature and timing, and that skill means the eels are gently cooked through, leaving the meat soft and bouncy with a crispy edge. A savory sauce helps bring out the flavor. Put it on rice and there you have it. Unaju, a delicious box of eel. The dish has a long history in Japan. Eelss are considered highly nutritious, rich in vitamins, calcium, and protein. Many, myself included, grab some once in a while when we need a pickme up. This restaurant prides itself on serving the freshest ingredients possible. Because the eels are prepared in front of customers, many come here from overseas to get that first delicious bite. The meat is soft. In some store, the skin is crispy. I think the taste and especially in this restaurant, they prepare it just it’s perfection. But that great taste doesn’t always come cheap. At this restaurant, one box can cost up to 6,000 yen. That’s almost $40 US. But that might sound steep, but maintaining a steady supply of eel isn’t an easy task. The global supply is extremely limited and really unpredictable. The Japanese government says it’s actually on the decline. And we still don’t know a lot about where or how they spawn. But any ill restaurant that wants to stay in business needs wells. And that’s why this restaurant decided to try a new approach. It began farming its own. They just started this year and they told me it’s still too early to try serving these eels to customers. But the hope is that in the future they won’t have to worry about getting eels. Eel is an important part of Japan’s food culture. We want everyone, not only the people of Japan, but everyone around the world to enjoy it. And that way they will be able to say that their locally sourced unachie has that hometown taste. Yoshika, NHK World, Narita.
An international vote on eel exports may affect Japan’s unagi supply. NHK’s Yoshikawa Ryuichi looks at how one restaurant is working on a home-grown solution.
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