Unagi Kabayaki (Grilled Eel): Custom of Doyo no Ushi no Hi, and Differences in Cooking Methods between Kanto and Kansai

Unagi Kabayaki, with its savory aroma and secret sauce stimulating the appetite, is the peak of Japanese traditional stamina food.
This page delivers a complete guide to enjoy Unagi 100%, including the differences in food culture between Kanto and Kansai and the secret of Doyo no Ushi no Hi.

1. Eating Unagi in Japan: Budget and Style Guide

Unagi is known as a high-class ingredient, but it is loved in a very wide range of dishes, from casual meals costing several hundred yen to high-end courses costing tens of thousands of yen.

Style	Budget Estimate	Features and Experience	Recommended Usage Scenes
Supermarket Side Dish	$	You can buy it from one piece at an affordable price. Optimal for side dishes or bento boxes.	Meals at hotels or for a small side dish
Unadon / Udon Chain Store	$$	You can easily enjoy "Unadon" (eel placed on top of rice).	Lunchtime or when you want to eat your fill cheaply
Soba / Japanese Restaurant	$$$	Dishes featuring grilled unagi with rice or side dishes are a great standard in Japan.	When you want to taste Japanese food in a calm atmosphere
Counter Unagi Specialty Store	$$$$$	A craftsman grills live unagi right in front of you and serves piping hot dishes one by one.	Dinner on special days or the ultimate gourmet experience

2. Delicious Eating Ways and Manners to Know: Use of Sansho and Salt

There are mainly ways of eating Unagi such as with "sauce" and "sansho". By using these properly, you can enjoy the original taste of the material more deeply.

Sauce (Tare): A warm soup combining dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. You can eat by dipping the unagi lightly. It neutralizes the greasiness and allows you to eat refreshingly.
Sansho (Powdered Japanese Pepper): It is a style of eating with sansho. It does not impair the savory feel of the skin, and because it highlights the "original sweetness" of the fish, it is a way of eating favored by connoisseurs. There are also variations like green sansho.
Eat while hot: The life of Unagi is its "savory texture/aroma". If it is served, make taking photos brief and eat it while it is at its hottest and most delicious.

【Standard Ingredients (Neta) to Know】

Unagi (Eel): The main actor of Unagi dishes. The texture of being crispy outside and tender inside is irresistible.
Kabayaki / Hitsumabushi: Finely cut ingredients or various styles mixed and grilled into a voluminous dish.
Seasonal variations: From summer vitality to winter dishes, unagi lets you feel the seasons of Japan.

3. History of Unagi: Transmission from the Past and Evolution

Unagi, which seems to be a purely Japanese food, was actually born receiving influences from various backgrounds.

Transmission and development: Cooking methods like grilling and seasoning were brought to Japan and evolved uniquely over time.
Secret of the etymology: It is said to have originated from various historical cooking styles and naming traditions in Japanese culinary history.
Evolution into Edo fast food: Afterwards, in Edo (Tokyo) around the 1800s, a style of grilling fresh fish and eating it casually at street stalls became a huge craze, evolving into a national dish of Japan alongside sushi and soba.

4. Trivia to Enjoy Unagi Even More

The art of the grilling "sound": Skilled craftsmen listen to the change in the sound of ingredients grilling in fat or over charcoal, adjusting the moisture removal to the millimeter and pulling it from the heat at the best timing.

Kaishi (Paper): In high-end unagi restaurants, unagi is placed on white Japanese paper (kaishi). This has the role of absorbing excess oil and is a traditional Japanese consideration to maintain visual beauty.

5. Taste Japan Even After Returning Home: Recipe Tips to Grill Softly at Home

When you make unagi at home, does it sometimes turn out rubbery or mushy? We introduce magical tips to grill it softly and deliciously.

Basic Materials

Unagi / Kabayaki sauce
Sake (Japanese rice wine)
Water / Heat source
Rice / Condiments

Cooking Method (Tips for Softness)

Wash or steam: Using sake or steam, adjust the temperature difference to create softness.
Do not over-heat: Place ingredients carefully and heat them lightly. Overheating makes it tough.
By applying sauce lightly and heating it properly, you can complete delicious homemade unagi dishes.

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