What is unagi?
Unagi is a type of fish that belongs to the eel family.
It has a black back, a white belly, and a long, thin, and slimy body.
They grows in freshwater.
Unagi is widely consumed in Japan as a dish called kabayaki (broiled unagi).
The most popular dishes made from unagi are unadon and unaju.
Unaju is a Japanese dish made with broiled unagi, served atop white rice and topped with sauce.
It is a local specialty of Tokyo.
Unaju in Japan is characterized by unagi’s fluffy and soft texture without any muddy smell.
Unadon is a Japanese dish that consists of a bowl of rice topped with kabayaki.
The origins of unaju and unadon date back to the Japan's Edo period (1603–1868).
During this period, grilled unagi seasoned with salty-sweet sauce served atop rice had become popular.
Today, in addition to traditional cooking methods, modern variations of the dish have become increasingly popular, using different sauces and toppings.
Varieties of unagi
You will find various dishes using unagi in Japan.
Some of these are explained below.
Unaju (rice topped with unagi)
A dish of kabayaki (broiled unagi seasoned with salty-sweet sauce and grilled) served on a bed of rice.
It is often considered a luxurious meal, typically served in a jubako (layered) bento box.
The unagi is seasoned with salty-sweet sauce and grilled thoroughly to make it crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
Unadon (rice bowl topped with unagi)
Unadon is similar to unaju, but is typically served in a more casual manner.
The dish also consists of kabayaki topped on rice.
Hitsumabushi (rice topped with chopped kabayaki)
Charcoal-grilled kabayaki is cut into long, thin slices and served on a bed of rice in a mountain shape.
One bowl of hitsumabushi can be enjoyed in multiple ways and eaten in three steps.
It can firstly be enjoyed as is, secondly with condiments such as green onions and wasabi, and thirdly with dashi broth.
This dish is popular mainly in Nagoya, Japan.
Shirayaki (grilled unagi seasoned with salt)
The unagi is grilled and seasoned only with salt, not a sauce.
You can enjoy the true taste of unagi with a simple yet rich flavor.
Unagi-kinshidon (rice bowl topped with unagi and fried egg)
A rice bowl topped with kabayaki and a fried omelet.
How to make unaju
The following explains how to make unaju, Japan’s most classic unagi dish.
First, cut the unagi into pieces.
Cut off the head and tail, and open the body from the dorsal-side to the belly.
Thoroughly remove the entrails and clean out the blood.
This process requires expert skill.
Skewer the cut unagi (this process is called kushiuchi).
Sometimes the skin is grilled to make it shrink as a pre-treatment.
This removes excess fat and tightens the meat.
Steam the unagi.
Steaming unagi tenderizes the meat and removes excess fat.
The steaming time depends on the size of the unagi, but it generally takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Prepare the sauce for dipping the unagi.
Unagi restaurants have their own unique, secret recipe for sauce.
It is made by boiling down soy sauce, mirin (sweet rice wine), sugar, and sake.
At restaurants, the same sauce is used for years (by making and adding to it) to deepen its unique flavor.
Grill the unagi.
Grill the unagi over a gas or charcoal, spreading multiple coats of sauce.
This makes the outside crispy and the inside soft.
Apply the sauce repeatedly while grilling the unagi to create a glossy and deep flavor.
Serve rice in a jubako bento box and carefully place the grilled unagi on top of the rice.
It is important to make it look beautiful.
Finally, pour the slightly warmed sauce over the whole dish and garnish with condiments.
How to eat unaju
Remove lid from jubako bento box
When served with a jubako box of unaju, start by removing the lid.
Eat unagi
Take a small portion of the unagi and taste its crispiness and delicious sauce.
Eat with rice
Eat the unagi and rice together.
This gives you a different flavor, as the rice is also soaked with the sauce.
Add condiments and sauce
Unaju often comes with condiments (e.g., chopped green onion, sansho spice, etc.).
Sprinkle a modest amount of these on top to enhance the flavor and add variety to the taste.
If you prefer a stronger flavor, add additional sauce to the unagi or rice.
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