Eel as food facts for kids

Eel shop in Japan

Eels are long, snake-like fish. They can be very small, about 5 centimeters (2 inches) long, or grow to be huge, up to 4 meters (13 feet) long! Their weight can range from 30 grams (about 1 ounce) to over 25 kilograms (55 pounds). Eels don't have the usual side fins that many fish have. Instead, their back, belly, and tail fins are all joined together, making one long ribbon along their body.

Most eels live in the shallow parts of the ocean. They like to hide by burrowing into sand, mud, or among rocks. Many types of eels are active at night, so you don't often see them during the day. Sometimes, many eels live together in special holes called "eel pits." Some eels live in very deep ocean waters, as far down as 4,000 meters (13,000 feet). Only one family of eels, called Anguillidae, lives in fresh water, but even they go back to the sea to lay their eggs.

Eel blood has a special protein that can be harmful to humans and other mammals if it's raw. But don't worry! Cooking the eel completely destroys this protein, making it safe to eat.

Japan eats a lot of eels, more than 70% of all the eels caught around the world!

Eels as Food

Eels are a popular food in many parts of the world. Freshwater eels, known as unagi in Japan, and marine eels, like anago (conger eel), are often used in Japanese cuisine. Dishes like unadon (eel over rice) are very popular, but they can be quite expensive. Eels are also a big part of Chinese cuisine and are cooked in many different ways. In Hong Kong, eel prices can be very high. Eels are also popular in Korean cuisine, where they are seen as a food that gives people energy.

In Europe, the United States, and other places, people eat the European eel and other freshwater eels. In London, England, jellied eels and pie and mash were once very common traditional foods. However, their popularity has gone down since World War II. In Italian cuisine, eels from the Valli di Comacchio (a swampy area near the Adriatic Sea) and eels from Bolsena Lake are especially valued.

Place	Dish Name	Image	What it is
England	Jellied eels		This dish started in London in the 1700s. It's made from chopped eels cooked in a special fish broth that turns into a jelly when it cools. It's eaten cold.
Belgium	Paling in 't groen ("Eels in the green")		This is a special dish from the Brussels area. Freshwater eels are cut into pieces and cooked in a green sauce made with herbs. It's usually served hot with fries or bread, but can also be eaten cold.
Japan	Unagi		Unagi is the Japanese word for freshwater eels, especially the Japanese eel. Saltwater eels are called anago. Unagi is a common food in Japanese cooking.
	Kabayaki		Kabayaki is a common way to prepare eel in Japan. The eel is cut open, cleaned, and boned. Then it's cut into square pieces, put on skewers, and dipped in a sweet soy sauce before being grilled.
	Unadon		Unadon means "eel bowl." It's a large bowl of steamed white rice topped with grilled eel fillets cooked in the kabayaki style.
Korea	Jangeo-gui		Jangeo-gui is a grilled dish made with freshwater eels that are marinated and then grilled.
Vietnam	Miến lươn		Miến lươn is a noodle soup with eel. The eel is either deep-fried or stir-fried. It's served with bean sprouts, wood ear mushrooms, onion, and coriander. It's a special dish in Northern Vietnam.
	Xúp lươn		Xúp lươn means "eel soup." It's a soup made from eel or pork broth. The eels are stir-fried with chives, onion, and chilli powder. It's often eaten with bánh mì (Vietnamese baguette) or bánh cuốn (steamed rice rolls). This dish is a specialty in Nghệ An Province.
Widespread	Elvers		Elvers are young eels. Long ago, fishermen ate them because they were cheap. But now, there are fewer eels, so elvers are considered a special food and are very expensive. In Spain, a dish called angulas is made by cooking elvers in olive oil with garlic and chili. Because real angulas are so rare and costly, people also buy fake ones made from surimi (a processed fish paste).
	Smoked eel		Smoked eel is seen as a special treat in many places, including northern Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark, and Sweden.

Sustainability of Eels

In 2010, Greenpeace International added the American eel, European eel, and Japanese eel to its "seafood red list." This list includes fish that are often sold in stores but are at high risk of being caught in ways that harm the environment or reduce their populations too much.

The US government believes that the eel population and the fishing industry for eels were worth about $12 million in Maine in 2017.

History of Eels

Eels used to be a cheap, healthy, and easy-to-find food for people in London, England. European eels were once so common in the River Thames that people set nets right in London to catch them. Eels became a main food for poor people in London. The first "Eel Pie & Mash Houses" (restaurants selling eel dishes) opened in London in the 1700s. The oldest one still open today, M Manze, has been around since 1902.

Gallery

Images for kids

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  Rice bowl with grilled eel, Nagoya, Japan