Unagi or Anago? What’s the Difference and Which is Better?

Does Ross’ dorky fake martial arts come up in your head when you hear Unagi? Or maybe you’re here because you’re hearing Unagi or Anego for the first time?

Ross’ iconic unagi episode on Friends.

Wherever you’re coming from, no need to worry. This is not some obscure high cultured food item. Unagi and Anego are the Japanese terms for freshwater and saltwater eel respectively. In the majority of cases, the terms refer to grilled eel over rice. A traditional dish that’s been eaten by the Japanese for thousands of years.

As for which is the tastier one? It depends, do you like rich and oily or light and fluffy?

What is Unagi?

Photo by Naotake Murayama

Unagi is the term for freshwater eel in Japan. it’s a dish that’s commonly served grilled but never raw as eel is poisonous when eaten raw. This eel is served in a variety of ways such as nigiri or umaki (in a rolled omelet) but the most popular dish is dipped in sauce, grilled and served on top of a bowl of rice.

Does unagi taste fishy?

Yes, eel tastes fishy. Anyone who denies it is a liar. The tare sauce does help tone down the fishiness to an acceptable level. Avoid the salt only version if you’re afraid of strong fishy flavors.

What does unagi mean in Japanese?

Unagi is the Japanese word for freshwater eel. It’s usually in reference to unagi-don, a rice bowl topped with grilled eel dipped in tare sauce.

What is unagi sauce?

Unagi sauce is tare sauce, a traditional dipping sauce and marinade used in Japanese cooking. Its a base of thickened soy sauce, sugar and mirin. Some recipes will add ingredients like dashi, vinegar or oyster sauce to add depth.

Insider Business explaining the pricing of the eel business in Japan.

What is Anago?

Anago is the Japanese term for seawater eel, more commonly known as conger eel. The meat tends to be sweeter and more tender than its more popular freshwater counterpart. Though they’re different terms depending on the eel’s origin, they are mostly served in the same manners and are mostly a regional or taste preference. For the sake of simplicity, note that both can be used interchangeably for eel dishes though they differ in taste.

A bowl of anago meshi by Z Tanuki

Eel donburi, the most common style

An unaju bowl at Ogakiku by Wei-Te Wong

Unagi rice bowls, usually referred to as unagi-don or unadon are the most common way to eat eel in Japan. Who doesn’t love a good donburi? Most restaurants will use a technique called Kabayaki which is the general process of cutting a fish down the middle and into de-boned fillets which you skewer and dip into a marinade sauce before grilling them over a flame or charcoals. Though Kabayaki is a technique for cooking multiple types of fish, eel is the most popular.

Note that in Kanto, the fish will usually be streamed before being dipped in tare sauce and grilled in order to make the flesh tender and flakier in texture once the eel is cooked. In Kansai, the fish will not be steamed, leaving the skin and flesh chewier.

This is the most approachable way to eat eel in Japan since the tare sauce will pair well with the rice and help cut through its fishiness.

How to make it yourself at home courtesy of Nami from Just One Cookbook.

So which is better?

Photo by Laurel Fan

Sorry to be generic and say, it comes down to your preference. If you like a rich and greasy eel, unagi will be your love. If you like a lighter and fluffier “fish”, anago will do it for you. In terms of accessibility however, it’s more likely you’ll come across unagi in Japan. Try a bowl if you come across either, eel are high in vitamin A, E and omega-3s. Something a lot of us don’t get enough of with our modern diets.

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