Grilled unagi rice is one of popular Japanese dish which is unlikely to become big in the Western countries anytime soon.
It’s completely my personal opinion, but I have a feeling that just an idea of eating eel (unagi) does not excite too many people who were not exposed to it at a young age.
Even myself, growing up in Japan, there was a moment when I wasn’t sure if that was something I wanted to continue eating.
Usually people buy pre-cooked unagi, so for a long time I didn’t know exactly what it was.
So the first time I saw how a fishmonger prepping unagi, I was shocked.
I stopped eating for a while, but then began eating again.
Well, it is tasty.
Now I’m not eating unagi anymore, this time because I’m on the plant-based diet.
Luckily, I found a vegan grilled unagi recipe in the cookbook called “Modoki” authored by Ms. iina, a Japanese vegan food creator.
The texture and the taste are pretty close, but not the same as the real thing.
But the great thing about her recipe is that the vegan version is as tasty as the real thing!
I enjoyed it for lunch with a bowl of miso soup and kimchi.
Have a great weekend!
