Japanese cuisine offers a plethora of flavors, but one dish that stands out for its unique taste and cultural significance is unadon, or eel rice. This dish highlights a delicacy that has captivated taste buds for centuries, often enjoyed in summer for its reputed health benefits.
The Essence of Unadon
Unadon consists of grilled or broiled eel, typically unagi, seasoned with a savorysweet tare sauce, served over a bowl of steamed rice. The preparation of eel is meticulous; it involves cleaning, filleting, and gently grilling the eel to maintain its moistness and flavor.
Cooking Utensils Required
To create the perfect unadon, here are some essential cooking utensils:
1. Grill or Broiler: A traditional shichirin (charcoal grill) is preferred, but a modern broiler works just as well for achieving that characteristic charred flavor.
2. Bamboo Brush: Used for applying the tare sauce during grilling, ensuring even distribution and enhancing taste.
3. Rice Cooker: Perfectly cooked rice is fundamental to unadon. A rice cooker simplifies the process, providing fluffy, sticky rice ideal for complementing the eel.
4. Fillet Knife: A sharp, flexible knife is crucial for skillfully processing the eel, providing clean cuts without tearing the delicate flesh.
5. Mixing Bowl: To prepare the tare sauce, a mixing bowl is necessary for combining ingredients like soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.
6. Serving Bowl: Traditional lacquered bowls enhance the visual appeal of unadon, making every bite enjoyable.
7. Chopsticks: Essential for authentic dining, chopsticks allow diners to savor the meal in traditional style.
Preparing the Dish
The dish begins with sourcing highquality unagi, ideally from a reputable fishmonger. The eel is then seasoned with a handmade tare sauce, comprising equal parts soy sauce, mirin, and sugar, which are slowly cooked together until thickened. The unagi is grilled while being brushed with the tare, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully as it caramelizes on the surface.
Rice is prepared concurrently using a rice cooker, adding water and rinsing the rice to ensure optimal texture. Once everything is ready, the grilled eel is sliced and placed atop a generous serving of rice, finished with a drizzle of any leftover tare sauce.
In dining establishments, unadon can be found alongside simmered ishi yaki (stonegrilled) eel or served with garnishments like sansho pepper or garnished with umeboshi (pickled plum).
Japanese eel rice is more than a dish; it’s an experience that combines tradition, technique, and a love for food. Each bite takes you on a journey through Japan’s culinary landscape, celebrating the rich flavors of its culture.