Unagi - Grilled eel

Grilled unagi is a relatively expensive in Japan, prized not only for its flavor but also for its legendary stamina-giving properties. It's traditionally eaten during the hottest part of the summer (on the "Day of the Ox" on the lunar calendar) to provide strength and vitality for the rest of the year.

Well-prepared unagi combines a rich flavor, a bit like pate, with an appetizing texture, crisp on the outside but succulent and tender on the inside. The cooking process is what makes the eel crisp and tender: The eels are first grilled over hot charcoal, then steamed to remove excess fat, then seasoned with a sweetish sauce and grilled a second time. In the Kansai area (around Osaka) the steaming step is omitted and the eel is grilled longer, burning off the excess fat and producing an even crisper skin.

The ingredients in the sweet basting sauce are important to the final taste of the unagi, and different restaurants maintain their own secret recipes. The quality of the charcoal used is also important: The best charcoal is made from hard oak from Wakayama in central Japan, and the aromatic smoke adds a special flavor to the eel as it's grilling.

Watch Unagi video here!

Japan Food Oyako Donburi and Tempura

Donburi may be not as famous as Sushi, Sashimi, ramen, or Teriyaki. But Donburi ingredient actually is the main food for some people in Japan even Asia.

Donburi is a typical Japanese rice bowl dish. Donburi consists of a bowl of hot cooked rice on top of which you put various fish, meats and/or vegetables.

The most famou donburi may be Oyako Donburi (chicken and egg over rice). Because the topping is chicken and eggs, this dish is called "oyako" which means parent-and-child in Japanese. It's a delicious one dish meal to have for lunch or dinner.

Some of the possible varieties include:
- Yakitori donburi, rice topped with pieces of grilled chicken
- Tempura donburi, rice topped with deep-fried prawns (shrimp)
- Katsu-don, rice topped with breaded pork cutlets
- sashimi donburi, rice topped with pieces of raw fish and other seafood
- Unagi donburi, rice topped with pieces of broiled eel
- Guy-don, rice topped with sukiyaki style beef
- Oyako-donburi, rice topped with cooked chicken and green onions which have been blended with eggs.


Some of popular Donburi and photos :


Oyakodon (Oyako Donburi) =  Mother and Child Donburi
The name of this popular donburi dish comes from its two main ingredients, chicken and egg. Very rarely, you may also encounter an Oyakodon featuring salmon and ikura (salmon eggs).



Katsudon (Tonkatsu Donburi) = Pork Cutlet Donburi
Katsudon is served with tonkatsu (deep fried breaded pork cutlet), egg and onions on top of the rice.



Gyudon (Gyuniku Donburi) = Beef Donburi
Gyudon, a bowl of cooked rice with beef, is very popular as an inexpensive type of fast food served at chain stores across the country.




Tendon (Tempura Donburi) = Tempura Donburi
Tempura are deep fried pieces of battered seafood and vegetables. Various tempura pieces are dipped into a soya based sauce before served on top of the rice.




Unadon (Unagi Donburi) = Eel Donburi
The eel is grilled and prepared in a thick soya based sauce before served on top of the cooked rice.




Tekkadon (Tekka Donburi) = Tuna Donburi
The topping of Tekkadon is raw tuna (maguro). It is served with strips of nori seaweed and sometimes ground yamaimo.


How to make Japanese Oyako Donburi Video