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Jul 24, 2018

Why Not Call it Unagiri?

Why Not Call it Unagiri? photo


Today after making copies in the Aeon supermarket (Max Value in these parts), I looked around and got lunch before heading to work. This is what I decided on for lunch: Unagi Onigiri


I haven't seen this before and was a little excited because A.) I love unagi, B.) I rarely eat unagi, and C.) it was marked 98 yen.


Turns out I didn't read what the 98 yen thing under this actually was, but it wasn't 98 yen. I asked at the register and confirmed the actual price was okay - 170 yen with tax included.


About unagi and why I don't usually eat it.

Eel is quite popular in this area, specifically Yanagawa and Ookawa near here, and we can go to restaurants that specialize in it. It's even unagi season? (I checked the supermarkets the 21st hoping for discounted unagi, but it was still So Expensive.)

I can't rationalize spending 2000 yen for something I'll have to eat by myself. Unagi is one of two or three foods that my husband doesn't like. (It's the tiny bones that bother him, although he eats tiny fish bones all the time. I don't really get it.)


We go out for sushi once or twice a year, so I'll eat anago then. The saltwater anago is probably what they serve in most kaitenzushi restaurants instead of unagi, since it's been on the endangered species list in Japan since 2014 and is expensive. There have been recent attempts to farm unagi, which seems to finally be successful, but not easy enough to replace the wild supply at this time.


Back to this unagi onigiri, or why don't they just call it unagiri?

I thought the way the unagi was prepared was more like anago - soft and not grilled with sweet sauce added. It was yummy, although I felt like I was eating anago nigiri sushi, but with way more rice. When I can get two anago nigiri at Sushirou for about 150 yen, that sounds better.


Anyway, this onigiri fulfilled my summer unagi craving for today at least. I might try out the much cheaper saba or other fish prepared like unagi next time. (And maybe my husband would eat it then.)

helloalissa

helloalissa

Kanji and design nerd.


1 Comment

  • KamaT

    on Jul 26

    I think they've missed a trick here. In fact, given Japan's love of truncating just about any name or term they can truncate, I'm astonished they haven't picked up on this!