【Reading】やきあなご

【English Name】Grilled Conger Eel (Anago)

Yaki-anago (grilled conger eel) is a standard Edomae sushi topping in which sea conger (maanago) is opened and grilled with a sweet-and-savory tare, a representative preparation method alongside nianago (boiled conger eel). Classified as a white-flesh fish, it is not as fatty as unagi but has a refined sweetness and a fluffy texture as its appeal. Grilling adds fragrant scorch marks and lets one enjoy a firmer texture than nianago. The tare uses "tsume," made by reducing soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. The season is June–August, with the main production areas being Tokyo Bay, the Seto Inland Sea, and the Tsushima Strait. For nigiri, the anago is placed on the shari and tsume is applied, and it is often served without wasabi. In Kansai it is also popular as a station bento (ekiben) in the form of pressed sushi.