We talk about eels that are safe to eat. There are many species of eels, some of which are not safe to eat. For those safe to eat, they are popular in Japan as well as China. Eels are referred to as Anago (穴子) in Japanese and 鳗鱼 in Chinese generally, but we have different local species. In my hometown Rizhao in Shandong, China, the dialect name for eels is “绵鳞 (mianlin)” which probably refers to “鳗鲡 (manli)”, the scientific genus name “Anguilla”, and also “七星子”, whose literal meaning is “seven dots”.

Classic Dishes

Japanese

Unagi Kabayaki (ウナギの蒲焼): a classic Japanese cooking method. Grill or roast the eels with the kabayaki sauce, which contains the same components as teriyaki sauce (soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake) but slightly sweeter. Brush the sauce repeatedly when cooking. The dish can be formed into rice bowls which is called Unadon (鰻丼).

Chinese

Red-Braised Eel (红烧鳗鱼): a common Chinese way to cook fish. The eels are fried first, then braised in soy sauce with sugar, ginger, and garlic until the sauce is condensed and the eels are tender.
Braised Eel with Chinese Chives (韭菜烧鳗鱼): an unique way to cook fish in east Shandong cuisine. The process is similar to 红烧鳗鱼, but braising with Chinese chives.