Blog#6

February 14, 2022

I read some story on Facebook earlier about the most expensive fish in the world. I can't imagine that these kind of fish was so Expensive. I found out that in January 2018 a kilogram of these baby eels cost around $35,000, that's more than bluefin tuna. It can take a year of work until they're large enough to be sold. I can't imagine though. So I made a research Ang found out that it's true story. I have lots of questions in my mind how could these be happened anyway. Hehe

So what makes these Eel so popular? And why are they so Expensive?

In our province here in the Philippines we do fishing mostly every night using an electricity and flashlights only. These is the kind of fish we've got we have Eel, tilapia, pantat or walking catfish, stone fish, some frog, some crabs and other species found in the river. Solve na Ang pang ulan hehe. But we don't know that this Eel is more expensive fish in Japan. Just found out hehe

People in Japan have eaten eel for thousands of years. In Restaurants this can sell 40 to 50 tons of eel each year, can be found across east asia, but overfishing and changing habitats have caused a huge decline in eel populations. Since 1980, the global catch of eel has declined by more than 75%, which has had a huge effect on price.

Mr. Rui Kinoshita once said, what is happening these days is the difference in the price is so much each year. It can be tripled compared to last year. next year can be a third of the year before. Unlike other types of fishing, the majority of eel are raised, not caught as adults. Young eels, called GLASS EELS, are caught in the wild and raised on farms like this. No farms have been able to efficiently breed the eels in captivity. So farmers depend on the catch of young eels to make a profit.

Mr. Michio Tanaka, the eel farmer, The amount I raise here varies each year, but roughly speaking it's about 30 tons. About 150,000- 160,000 eels. Rising this many eels requires constant attention.

Michio has been working as an eel farmer for almost 40 years. As for farming eels, I don't think eels are easy fish to grow. If one disease spreads or one accident happens in the pond, you can never make a profit. This can be done only through daily care. Feeding them is the most expensive part. 2-3 times a day, workers feed eels this mixture of fish meal, wheat , soybean meal and fish oil. Michico tries to feed them in a way that the food gets around to all 150,000 baby eels. This is a difficult task. I pay a lot of attention to those baby eels.if something happens to that one pond, everything is gone.

After six to 12 months of work, eels are big enough to be sold. Workers unload the eels and sort them according to their sizes to determine where they are ok to be sold.

Experienced workers can quickly tell the difference just by feel. Some of these eels will end up at restaurants like Surugaya, which has been serving eels for over 150 years. That high demand is part of the reason young eels are so expensive.

The final dish is called kabayaki. It may look simple but it takes years to master. As per mr. rui kinoshita, there is a saying about cooking eel. Slicing takes eight years. Grilling needs a whole life to master. Workers prepare eel live to maintain freshness, but this makes handling much more difficult. Workers remove the bones and cut eels to the proper size for the skewers.

Finally , grilling. It takes a whole life to master until you die. Because eel has to be constantly monitored while it's cooking to achieve even grilling to get a good texture. Source facebook.com

Reality:

For us, once we are done fishing at the river or at the lake we directly do grilled eel or some fish we've got on the river side. My brothers and I made a bonfire then put the fish on and ate it with spicy sauce.  Super delicious  and fresh foods to eat. 

In Japan, eels are eaten year-round, but the consumption peaks in the summer, and it has become a big part of some local economies. But the high demand has caused concern. In 2014, Japanese eels were classified as endangered, and because of low domestic catch, the majority of eels eaten in japan are imported from china and taiwan. Kouji Yamato Union leader said, when they can't catch enough young eels the price goes up. When the price is high, what can those farmers do? Finding the right balance is currently the biggest problem. And there have been efforts to improve the eel population, like regulating fishing, realing adult eels back into the water, and researching how to hatch eels in farms.but the future of japanese eels remains unclear, and the price is likely to increase with demand.

Source: Facebook.com

The best way to cook an eel:

In a saute pan over medium heat, sear the eel until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the butter and cook until it melts and browns slightly. Divide the eel among 4 serving plates and top with the butter sauce. Or you can do sweet & sour eel fish, our favorite dish for eel was "adobong eel" subrang sarap yummy feeling. You must try these sometimes.

How to make eel sauce:

Eel sauce is a simple reduction of only four ingredients:

sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce. Easy to use, just mix it all its flavor will enhance not only eel and sushi rolls; but a wide variety of other foods, as well.

Here some benefits of eating eel.

Eel It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and protein which is great in terms of protecting our heart and maintaining healthy bones, improving blood pressure, lowering cholesterol and reducing the risks of diabetes and arthritis. One of those omega-3 acids called EPA is also known to promote healthy skin.

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Date Published: February 14, 2022