What Is Unagi Sushi? Eel on the Menu

Most people ordering at a sushi restaurant skip right past the eel. That’s a mistake.

Unagi sushi is one of the oldest, most culturally significant dishes in Japanese cuisine, and it’s almost always cooked, which makes it a solid entry point if raw fish isn’t your thing.

This guide covers what unagi actually is, how it’s prepared, what it tastes like, how it compares to anago, and what to look for when ordering or buying it.

You’ll also get the full nutritional profile and a clear answer on why it costs more than most other sushi options.

What Is Unagi Sushi

Unagi sushi is sushi made with grilled freshwater eel, glazed in a sweet-savory sauce, and served either as nigiri or inside a maki roll.

Unlike most sushi, unagi is never served raw. The eel is always fully cooked before it reaches your plate, which makes it one of the most approachable options for people who are new to Japanese cuisine or uncomfortable with raw fish.

“Unagi” is the Japanese word for freshwater eel. The name refers specifically to the species Anguilla japonica, native to East Asia. It is not interchangeable with anago, the saltwater eel also found on sushi menus.

Japan consumes up to 56,000 tons of unagi per year (Japan Experience), making it one of the most culturally significant fish in the country’s culinary history. Specialty unagi restaurants have existed in Japan for over 200 years.

Outside Japan, unagi sushi is widely available at mid-range and high-end Japanese restaurants globally. Many Western sushi bars use pre-packaged frozen eel, which is imported from China or Taiwan and reheated before serving.

The flavor is rich, smoky, and sweet from the tare glaze, with a soft but firm texture. It’s nothing like white fish. First-timers are often surprised by how indulgent it tastes compared to something like tuna or salmon.

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The Eel Used in Unagi

Species: Anguilla japonica, the Japanese freshwater eel, is the standard for authentic unagi. It has a plump, dark body and lives in rivers, streams, and lakes before migrating to the ocean to breed.

Wild-caught eel is almost nonexistent at commercial scale today. The industry runs almost entirely on farmed eel, raised in heated tanks from wild-caught juvenile “glass eels.” No one has successfully bred Anguilla japonica in captivity for commercial purposes yet, though Kindai University achieved a full-cycle aquaculture breakthrough in 2023.

In 2021, Japan imported around 42,000 tons of eel, roughly two-thirds of its total supply, from China and Taiwan (Nippon.com). Domestic aquaculture covered the remaining third.

The IUCN listed Anguilla japonica as Endangered in 2014. Glass eel recruitment has dropped by 90% since the 1970s (Biology Insights). A 2022 survey found that 71.2% of Japanese consumers are now aware that the species is endangered (Onlinelibrary/Wiley).

This conservation pressure directly affects price. The average wholesale market price for unagi in Japan hit 5,553 yen per kilogram in May 2023, more than double what it was in 2009 (Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market data via Nippon.com).

How Unagi Is Prepared

Unagi is never simply grilled and plated. The preparation involves several distinct stages that take hours and require serious technique. This is a big part of why unagi restaurants in Japan are specialists, not generalists.

The standard method is kabayaki: the eel is butterflied, skewered, grilled over charcoal, basted repeatedly with tare sauce, then finished. What separates a good unagi chef from an average one is almost entirely in how they manage the fire and the tare.

Tare sauce is the flavor backbone of the dish. It’s made from soy, mirin, sake, and sugar, cooked down into a thick glaze. Many traditional restaurants in Japan maintain the same pot of tare for decades, adding to it continuously. It’s comparable to how some Italian kitchens maintain a long-running stock.

Kanto vs. Kansai Style

The two dominant preparation styles in Japan differ on one key step: steaming.

Kanto-style is more common in Tokyo restaurants and is the version most people outside Japan encounter. Kansai-style has a more assertive flavor and a firmer bite.

Japanese eel is traditionally turned sixteen times during grilling for even caramelization, according to Japan Experience. In practice, this depends on the chef, the heat level, and the thickness of the eel.

What Unagi Tastes Like

Rich. Sweet-savory. Slightly smoky. The tare glaze dominates the flavor profile, so what you’re really tasting is a combination of the eel’s natural fat and the caramelized soy-mirin sauce.

The texture is firm but soft, especially in Kanto-style where steaming removes some of the fat before the final grilling. It’s not flaky like white fish. It’s closer to a very tender braised meat than anything raw.

For people who dislike raw fish, unagi is often the entry point into sushi. The cooking process and heavy glaze make it accessible. I’ve seen people who swore off sushi for years end up loving unagi nigiri specifically because it doesn’t taste “fishy” in the way they were dreading.

The umami is pronounced but not sharp. Paired with sushi rice, the sweetness of the glaze balances the slight acidity of the vinegared rice. It’s one of the cleaner flavor combinations in the sushi canon.

Freshwater eel has higher fat content than saltwater eel (anago), which contributes to its buttery finish. That fat also helps it hold up to repeated basting during grilling without drying out.

Unagi Nigiri vs. Unagi Maki

Both formats use the same grilled eel. The difference is in how it’s presented and what you eat with it.

Unagi nigiri is a slice of glazed, grilled eel placed over a pressed oval of sushi rice, sometimes secured with a thin strip of nori. A typical serving is two pieces. One piece runs roughly 86-150 calories depending on the size and amount of tare applied (SparkPeople / POGOGI data).

Unagi maki rolls, sometimes called unamaki, wrap the eel with cucumber or avocado inside nori and rice. The cucumber version is more traditional. Avocado is a Western adaptation that became common in North American sushi restaurants from the 1990s onward.

Unaju and unadon are separate dishes entirely. They involve eel served over rice in a lacquer box or bowl, covered in tare sauce. These are technically not sushi at all since there is no vinegared sushi rice involved.

If you’re deciding between nigiri and maki at a restaurant, nigiri gives you a cleaner read on the eel quality. With maki, the other ingredients compete with the eel’s flavor. Your mileage may vary depending on the restaurant, but I’d always start with nigiri if it’s my first time trying their unagi.

Unagi vs. Anago

This is probably the most common point of confusion on a Japanese menu. Both are eel. Both are cooked. They are not the same thing.

Anago is conger eel, a saltwater species. It has a slimmer body, lighter color, and significantly lower fat content than unagi. The flavor is more delicate and mild, and the preparation is different. Anago is typically steamed or simmered before it’s grilled, while unagi goes directly to the grill or gets steamed first depending on the regional style.

Because unagi populations are under serious conservation pressure, anago is increasingly seen as a more sustainable alternative. Some Japanese restaurants have shifted their menus toward anago specifically for this reason.

Price-wise, unagi is noticeably more expensive at most sushi restaurants. Wholesale prices in Japan range from $40-60 per kilogram, with premium unagi fetching over $120 per kilogram (Forsea Foods survey, 2023). Anago tends to be more affordable and more consistently available year-round.

For what wine goes with sushi, the choice shifts depending on which eel you order. Unagi’s richness pairs well with off-dry whites or light reds, while anago’s more delicate profile works better with crisp, mineral-driven whites.

Nutritional Profile of Unagi

Unagi is one of the most nutrient-dense proteins in Japanese cuisine. Per 100 grams of grilled freshwater eel, you get 184 calories, 18.4g of protein, and 11.5g of fat, with zero carbohydrates (SnapCalorie / USDA data).

The fat content is what makes it both rich-tasting and nutritionally interesting. Most of that fat is unsaturated, including EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. POGOGI notes that unagi has the highest amount of unsaturated fatty acids of any sea creature.

Just 50 grams of kabayaki provides more than the full recommended daily intake of vitamin A for an adult male, according to Sushi University. That’s a meaningful amount from a single serving of nigiri.

Mercury is a legitimate concern with many fish. Eel tests well on this front. A study analyzing 52 samples found a mean mercury content of just 0.085 ppm, significantly lower than cod or canned tuna (Nutrition Advance).

Unagi Nigiri Calories in Context

Two pieces of unagi nigiri deliver roughly 150-300 calories, 8-10g of protein, and 22-25g of carbs from the sushi rice (SnapCalorie).

That puts it on the higher end for sushi. Tuna or salmon nigiri typically runs 40-60 calories per piece. The difference comes from eel’s fat content and the tare glaze, which adds sugar and sodium.

• Standard 6-8 piece serving: approximately 300-400 calories
• Higher sodium than most sushi due to soy-based tare glaze
• People watching blood pressure or sugar should note the sauce

For those avoiding raw fish for dietary or medical reasons, unagi sushi is one of the strongest cooked options nutritionally. It’s also a reasonable choice for is sushi good for weight loss discussions, as long as portion size stays reasonable.

Doyo no Ushi no Hi and Stamina Claims

Japan has eaten unagi on Doyo no Ushi no Hi (Ox Day) since the 18th century, a tradition credited to playwright and inventor Hiraga Gennai (1726-1779), who promoted eel as a stamina food during the hottest period of the Japanese summer.

The nutritional case for this is reasonable. Unagi is calorie-dense, high in B vitamins, and rich in vitamin A. Whether it “restores energy” in any specific way is less certain, but as a protein-rich meal during summer heat, the logic holds.

Japan’s Fisheries Agency consumer surveys consistently rank unagi as the fish Japanese people most want to eat (Sushi University). Summer is when restaurant unagi prices spike and demand peaks nationwide.

Where to Find and Order Unagi Sushi

Unagi is available at most mid-range to high-end Japanese restaurants globally. The quality gap between restaurants, though, is wider than with most sushi.

At Sushi Restaurants

Japan: Specialty unagi restaurants are common, with some like Nodaiwa in Tokyo operating for over 200 years. Chain restaurants like Sukiya and Yoshinoya also serve unadon at affordable prices, around 1,000 yen.

Outside Japan: Most Western sushi bars use pre-packaged frozen kabayaki imported from China, reheated before serving. The flavor is decent but noticeably different from fresh-grilled eel.

A quick tell for quality: if the eel arrives at the table warm and slightly glazed on the outside, it was probably reheated well. If it’s cold or rubbery in the middle, the kitchen didn’t handle the thawing correctly. Not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing.

Buying Frozen Unagi for Home Use

Pre-cooked frozen unagi is widely available at Asian grocery stores in North America, Europe, and Australia. It comes vacuum-sealed, already glazed with kabayaki sauce, and requires only reheating.

• Microwave: Quickest option, 1-2 minutes, slightly softer result
• Oven or air fryer: Crispier exterior, closer to restaurant texture
• Skillet: Good for a quick sear if you want caramelization on the glaze

Online retailers like Weee! and Riviera Seafood Club ship frozen kabayaki directly. Riviera’s version comes in 10oz individual fillets and is already marinated, making it straightforward for home sushi preparation.

Price and What Drives It

Unagi is expensive. Full stop. The reasons are structural, not arbitrary.

Wild supply is essentially gone at commercial scale. All farmed eel still requires wild-caught glass eels as seedstock, and those juvenile eels are unpredictably scarce year to year.

In Japan, a deluxe unagi rice box at a specialty restaurant runs around 5,000 yen (roughly $33-35 USD). A casual unadon at a chain like Sukiya costs around 1,000 yen. Wholesale prices in Japan sat at an average of 5,553 yen per kilogram in May 2023, more than double 2009 levels (Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market data via Nippon.com).

Outside Japan, a restaurant plate of unagi nigiri or unagi maki typically runs $8-18 USD depending on the city and restaurant tier. Premium unagi from specialist importers can exceed $120 per kilogram at the consumer level (Forsea Foods, 2023).

One thing worth knowing: a 2023 study in the US found that 5.2% of products labeled as freshwater eel at grocery stores and sushi bars were actually European eel, a legally restricted species (Research Gate). If sourcing matters to you, buying from a named Japanese importer or asking your restaurant where they source from is reasonable due diligence.

For pairing, a dry, off-dry white or a light-bodied red works well alongside the sweet-savory tare glaze. If you want more detail on what works, there’s a solid breakdown of wine that goes with Japanese food more broadly that covers unagi alongside other dishes. The richness of the eel means you want something with enough acidity to cut through, not something too heavy or tannic.

Unagi sits in an interesting spot on any sushi menu. It’s not the most elegant or delicate thing you’ll eat, but it’s one of the most satisfying, and it has a cultural weight in Japan that most other sushi ingredients simply don’t have. If you haven’t tried it yet, start with nigiri at a restaurant that sources their eel carefully. The difference between mediocre reheated frozen eel and properly prepared kabayaki is significant enough to matter.

FAQ on What Is Unagi Sushi

Is unagi sushi raw or cooked?

Always cooked. Freshwater eel is never served raw in Japanese cuisine. It’s grilled using the kabayaki method, basted with tare sauce, and fully cooked before it reaches your plate. This makes it one of the safest sushi options for people who avoid raw fish.

What does unagi taste like?

Rich, smoky, and sweet-savory from the tare glaze. The texture is firm but tender, closer to braised meat than flaky fish. The umami is pronounced, and the caramelized glaze dominates. First-timers are usually surprised by how indulgent it is.

What is the difference between unagi and anago?

Unagi is freshwater eel (Anguilla japonica). Anago is saltwater conger eel. Unagi is fattier, richer, and more expensive. Anago is leaner, milder, and considered a more sustainable option given current eel population pressures.

Is unagi sushi healthy?

Yes, in moderation. Per 100g, unagi provides 18.4g of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and over 100% of the daily value for both vitamin A and vitamin B12. The tare glaze adds sugar and sodium, so portion size matters.

Why is unagi sushi so expensive?

Supply is the core issue. Anguilla japonica is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. All farmed eel still requires wild-caught glass eels as seedstock. Average wholesale prices in Japan hit 5,553 yen per kilogram in May 2023.

Can you eat unagi sushi when pregnant?

Unagi tests low for mercury at around 0.085 ppm, well below most fish. That said, the high vitamin A content in eel is worth noting during pregnancy, as excess vitamin A carries risks. Consulting a doctor before eating it regularly is sensible.

What is unagi nigiri?

A slice of grilled, glazed freshwater eel placed over a pressed oval of sushi rice, sometimes secured with a thin nori strip. Typically served in pairs. Each piece runs roughly 86-150 calories depending on size and how much tare is applied.

Is unagi the same as eel sauce?

No. Unagi is the eel itself. Eel sauce (also called unagi tare) is the sweet-savory glaze made from soy, mirin, sake, and sugar used to baste the eel during grilling. Many sushi restaurants also use it as a drizzle on other rolls.

Where can I buy unagi outside Japan?

Most Asian grocery stores carry frozen pre-cooked kabayaki packs. Online retailers like Weee! and Riviera Seafood Club ship vacuum-sealed frozen eel directly. It arrives fully cooked and glazed, requiring only reheating before serving over rice or sushi.

What wine goes with unagi sushi?

The sweet-savory tare glaze needs something with acidity to balance it. Off-dry whites like Riesling or a light-bodied red like Pinot Grigio work well. Avoid heavy, tannic reds. They overpower the eel’s delicate fat and smoke notes.

Conclusion

This conclusion is for an article presenting unagi sushi as more than just a menu item. It’s a dish with real depth, from the kabayaki preparation method to the cultural weight of Doyo no Ushi no Hi.

The difference between freshwater eel and anago matters. The Kanto and Kansai styles produce genuinely different results. And the IUCN endangered status of Anguilla japonica is something worth understanding before you order.

Nutritionally, the omega-3 content, vitamin B12, and protein make it one of the stronger cooked sushi options available.

Whether you’re trying unagi nigiri for the first time or sourcing frozen kabayaki for home cooking, the quality gap is real. Choose well, and it’s one of the most satisfying things on any Japanese menu.