What is unagi in sushi?鰻
This time, I looked into the various names and seasons for sushi unagi.
How to call unagi
【unagi】eel ウナギ 鰻
Many species of eel are distributed not only in Japan but all over the world. It is said that there are about 19 types of oysters, but surprisingly only 4 are used for food. Eel is often named after the country or region where it is caught, for example, Japan is called Nihon eel,” Australia is calledAustralian eel,” and the United States is called American eel.” Eel has another name, and in the Kinki region it is called “mamushi” in dialect. By the way, Japan also imports eel, but most of the time it seems that wild and farmedNihon eel” are used in cooking.
The peak season for unagi
Eel: The season for eel is different depending on whether it is wild or farmed.
Wild eel: The season for wild eel is said to be from October to December. The reason is that wild eels prepare for the harsh winter by storing up sufficient nutrients before hibernating, so the period from October to December, called early winter, is when eels are at their fattest and tastiest. However, in recent years, it has been designated as an endangered species, so its rarity value is high, and its price has also skyrocketed.
Farmed eel: There is actually no season for farmed eel. Because they are grown under strict water temperature control, they can maintain stable quality throughout the year. If I had to say it, the demand for eel in Japan is highest during the Doyo no Ushi no Hi (Doyou no Ushi no Hi), so eels that are farmed at that time can be said to be in season.
