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Grilled Japanese eel rice (Unagi Don) is known as a traditional dish of the Land of the Rising Sun. Unagi Don not only holds spiritual significance but also represents the beauty of Japanese culture.
The sight of long lines of customers queuing in front of eel restaurants on eel-eating days is considered a familiar image in Japan. Eel is considered an extremely popular and much-loved dish in Japan, as it is known as a "savior" for the hot summer months.
A must-have dish during the Japanese summer months.
Japanese festivals have long been known and celebrated by people all over the world. Among them is the eel-eating day, known in Japan as "Doyo Ushi No Hi." The image of charcoal-grilled eel rice (Unagi Don) has become an iconic symbol in the land of cherry blossoms. With its distinctive, rich, and refined flavor, this dish has gradually become an indispensable part of Japanese cuisine.
Eel rice is one of the famous dishes in Japan.
Grilled eel rice originated in the late Edo period. This dish was touted as a remedy for the summer heat. It stemmed from the advice of a pharmacist who believed that eating foods with the letter "U" on Doyo Ushi No Hi (a traditional summer day) could combat the harsh summer heat. This helped the Unagi Don restaurant improve its struggling business.
Eel rice is called Unadon or Unagi-don in Japanese.
Gradually, the Japanese people learned about the nutritional value that eel provides to human health. Especially in the summer, eel is considered to have cooling properties that help to cool the body. Therefore, this dish has become a national dish in Japan. The Japanese believe that the summer heat makes our bodies uncomfortable and tired. But if we eat eel, the body will become cooler, more resilient, and more energetic. Therefore, restaurants selling eel rice dishes gradually developed and continue to thrive to this day.
This dish is presented with white rice served in a lacquered wooden bowl, drizzled with seasoning, and topped with Japanese-style grilled eel.
Eel contains high levels of minerals and proteins such as DHA and EPA. Therefore, eating eel replenishes energy, giving us a feeling of abundant energy. In the summer, when the body loses the most water due to high temperatures, eating dishes with cooling properties like eel helps lower body temperature. That's why it's said that eating eel helps people feel cooler.
The most carefully selected eels are grilled over charcoal with Kabayaki sauce. The grilling process is also elaborate, requiring the chef's high skill. Based on the grilling technique and the natural flavors from the binchotan charcoal, the eel retains its moisture and tenderness with a slightly crispy outer layer. The flavor of Unagi Don is truly a culinary marvel.
Eating eel (unagi) in the summer is considered a traditional custom in Japan.
Each serving of fragrant, rich, and piping hot eel rice offers a complete and satisfying flavor. Grilled eel, when cooked at the right temperature with a slight charring, creates a visually appealing dish. The unique taste of this dish can win over even the most discerning diners.
In traditional Chinese medicine, eel is also used to boost vitality and cool the body.
Japanese delicacies are likened to "white gold" because they are so expensive.
Consumed worldwide, Japanese eel is particularly popular in Asia, especially in Japan. Some archaeological findings in ancient tombs in the Land of the Rising Sun suggest that Japanese eel has been eaten on the archipelago for thousands of years.
Japanese consumption of eel (unagi) is particularly high during the hottest time of the year, and they have a special custom of eating eel dishes on the summer solstice.
Despite its enduring popularity, much about the Japanese eel remains a mystery. It's unclear exactly how it reproduces. Numerous attempts at farming and breeding them have been largely unsuccessful. Supplies from the wild, due to environmental pollution, and overfishing have significantly decreased in recent decades.
Japanese eels are vulnerable to various human-induced habitat disturbances. Climate change-related phenomena such as El Niño also affect ocean currents and their breeding grounds.
In traditional Chinese medicine, eel is also used to boost vitality and cool the body.
The degradation of freshwater habitats, including river development, also plays a significant role. Dams can block migration routes, and eels are sometimes caught in hydroelectric turbines, a major cause of death for the species.
The scarcity of ingredients makes eel, as well as eel rice dishes, very expensive.
Since 2012, scientists in the four territories where the Japanese eel is most commonly found have collaborated on conservation efforts, establishing aquaculture quotas in 2015. But restrictions, including the European Union's export ban in 2010, have created a thriving black market, fueled by poaching and international trafficking.
Japanese eel rice is a special dish that not only embodies the traditional flavors of the land of cherry blossoms, but it also serves as a key, transporting diners back to the past and allowing them to explore Japan's history from centuries ago.
