Kabayaki

Kabayaki isn’t a food itself, but rather a preparation style for certain seafood like fish and especially eel. There are a few regional versions that vary somewhat, but in general it involves flaying, fileting, and skewering the eel or other protein, dipping it in a sweet tare sauce made of reduced soy sauce, mirin, and sugar, then grilled or broiled.

The cooking process creates a sweet-savory umami flavor from the seafood and sauce that becomes crispy in certain parts while retaining rich, flavorful flesh. Kabayaki eel is popularly served over rice as donburi.

If you’re making homemade Kabayaki, high quality mirin and soy sauce will give you the best result. While the sauce naturally isn’t low in sugar, the whole method makes for a delicious way to get plenty of proteins, minerals, vitamins, and unsaturated fats that are important for heart health.

You can purchase unagi eel as well as pre-seasoned unagi kabayaki or other suitable fish for kabayaki in Uwajimaya’s award-winning seafood department, while loads of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar options are also carried at all Uwajimaya stores.