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In summer, the number of people dining on eel soars. In fact, towards the end of the summer—about the time people are feeling particularly rundown and tired from the heat—there is even a special day set aside just for this delicacy—the “day of the ox” (ushi-no-hi) during the 18 days before autumn begins according to the traditional Japanese calendar. This day, one of hottest of the year, is when the delicious aroma of barbecued eel wafts out from eel shops all over the country.
The Japanese eel lives in freshwater and grows to about 40–50 centimeters in length. Rich in vitamins A, B1 and B2 as well as high-quality protein, eel has long been prized in Japan as an especially nutritious food. It is usually split down its length, skewered, basted with soy sauce and mirin (sweet, seasoned sake), and charcoal-grilled to a nice toasty brown. This is the famed kabayaki. |
