During heavy heat summertime and when the heat remains high and humidity during a day drains physical stamina.
In Japan, the custom of eating eel is popular especially for tonics and to prevent heat exhaustion during summer season. It has been a profound food culture since the Edo period.
“Doyo no Ushi no Hi” is the day of the ushi(Ox) during the summer Doyo period. It is also called ”Doyo no Ushi” or ”Doyo Ushi”.
The custom of eating eels is well known in Japan, and is referred to as the Doyo period. The custom of eating eels was originally customarily to eat something with the letter ‘U’ on the day of the Ox, and melon and udon noodle were commonly eaten on such occasions. During the Doyo period today, supermarkets and food stores sell unagi at higher prices, some are almost double the regular prices.
“Doyo” is a seasonal cycle based on the five elements, and refers to the 18 days immediate preceding each four seasons (Risshun, Rikka, Risshu, and Rittou). The ‘Ox days’ are dates based on the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac (zodiacal calendar). For the reason, there are also Ox days in seasons other than summer, but these in the customarily generally refer only to those in summer. That’s the origin story behind moreover, apparently the most popular Edo period Innovator, super multi creator, and doctor, Gennai Hiraga made “Doyo no Unagi” to promote eel as a popular gourmet in new Edo lifestyle.
There’s a unique Japanese term that is “Sei-wo-tsukeru”. Means “Gaining physical stamina by eating”. It also means that tonic gives an aphrodisiac.
Sea Urchin or Oyster are globally common aphrodisiac foods and some European and Chinese cuisine have some eel dishes in long history but not as common as in today’s market in Japan.
As of today, there are plenty of unagi restaurants in Japan. Shizuoka and Shiga prefecture are known for their lakes of great eels.
In Tokyo today, particularly Nihonbashi and Tokyo Yaesu or Shinbashi has a number of fantastic unagi restaurants are notable referred to the Edo period and its location.
Not only for high end, but also for masses like izakaya and street food style unagi restaurants are very valuable and popular. The street style unagi is usually served in skewers like Kushi started appearing from the Edo period (According to “Manpou Ryori Himitsu Bako (The Secret Box of All Treasured Culinaries) (1785)”).
And today’s Kushi or Yakitori skewer styles became more popular and well established from around the Meiji period as a local (street) culture like Shibuya and Osaka prefecture. Even the super central redeveloped area of high end Tokyo Yaesu has taishu izakaya (street pub) style “Unaginobori” so as Shibuya especially has a good reputation for eel specialized taishu izakaya, “Unatetsu”. These casual street styles serve quality delicate ingredients affordable by their skills. These restaurants are regularly full with visitors from around the globe and locals.
The high end restaurants are known for serving unagi with rice as a proper meal for keeping the warmth longer and filling your stomach with a flavor of Soy base sauce (today’s cuisine has more variety in menu). The style referred to high end from the special catering style of a theater actor backstage.
Unagi is commonly grilled flavored with salt or the sweet soy base. To add Sansho pepper grind to enhance the soothing aroma of contrast with the sweet sauce is clever.
Texture of a liver has a great firm fat and the fresh has a beautiful soft texture: the one that marinades in vinegar, and cucumber gives refreshments especially from the heat outside.
And all that parts are prepared to be served with appreciation for your epicure, tonic, and aphrodisiac.
It might sound inappropriate for some. As almost same goes with poultries, eel is cooked in almost every part to be appreciated for tonic culinary: Bones, skins, organ, liver, and fresh…Grilled bones (high calcium and vitamin) are still available at supermarkets or fish markets today.
In English words, “devour” has the meaning of eating aggressively, eating every part of the object, and is known for the expression of sexual desire to arouse passionately. It is a profound word and eroticism sense of culinary.
Think of tonic, if any of you have heard of “tonic period”.
In Chinese medicine, the tonic period is a stage of treatment that aims to nourish and strengthen the vital energy (qi) and blood (xue) of the body. The tonic period is usually applied after the acute or chronic symptoms of a disease have been alleviated or eliminated by other methods, such as purging, clearing, or harmonizing to enhance the health and immunity as a cure.
(Unagi Kappou Owada Restaurant)
Foods in this context as tonic period may not be the perfect phase of cure however they have a right impact and trigger to the tonic period. When you feel the need of physical stamina, even a sense of ecstatic, or to enjoy the depth of culinary background.
Either way, having good unagi served by a good chef is a profoundly cool Edo choice.
Location Reference :
Unagi Nobori | ADDRESS: 1F, 2F Terada Building 1-5-12 Yaesu, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo
Unatetsu | ADDRESS: 1F Cosmo Shibuya-Kan,2-8-8 Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo
Unagi Kappo Owada | ADDRESS: 2-8-4 Shinbash, Minato, Tokyo
Sumiyaki Unafuji (Original Restaurant) | ADDRESS: 1F Pleasant Shirogane, 1-1-4 Shirogane, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi
