Unagi Pie - A snack for nights
Now the first thing I should point out is that I didn’t make up the sub-title…that is just what was written on the box.
The second thing I should point out is that Unagi Pie would have to be some of the weirdest food I have eaten in Japan.
What is Unagi? Eel, usually a relatively small eel (about 50cm long). It is a very popular and famous dish especially in the height of summer
What is Unagi Pie? A long, thin, sweet pastry-like biscuit .
What is the connection between Unagi and Pie? Apparently there are traces of unagi in these biscuits. Personally I can’t taste it at all. I like the flavour of Unagi but as far as I am concerned it is 100% missing from this sweet, light, crisp biscuit.
Why is it called “A snack for nights”? Perhaps it is because that is when the eels come out of the water to lay eggs. Perhaps that after dark the eel flesh glows phosphorescently in the biscuit. Perhaps it is because that is the only time you could get away with eating a sweet biscuit made with fish. Or perhaps it just sounded good to a bunch of marketers as they sat around a table drinking sake and designing the packaging.
Our box of Unagi Pie came from a friend who bought it from her hometown in Shizuoka, beside the sea. I’m not sure if this is a speciality of that area, but if it is, then they deserve a medal. If anyone can put eel in a sweet biscuit and make it taste this good, then they deserve some sort of recognition.
If you get the chance, then give it a try, if you don’t get the chance, just pretend they never existed
Tags: Desserts : Asian Cuisine, Japanese, UncategorizedRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Desserts : Asian Cuisine, Japanese, Uncategorized
5 opinions for Unagi Pie - A snack for nights
karen
Jun 9, 2007 at 7:29 pm
most unagi pie is actually from hamamatsu, near shizuoka - but at tokyo station (in tokyo, of course), they actually sell omiyage (souvenirs) from other cities with their original packaging in case you forgot someone during your travels lol
unagi pie is yummy! i have no idea how it’s made but it’s sweet and crisp and crumbles ever so lightly… my fav. snack at night lol ok, not really… but it’s suppose to be a good snack for the night because it’s good for your “stamina” - hey i’m just the messenger lol (and tastier than viagra lol)
Tom
Jun 12, 2007 at 5:35 am
Hi Karen
That makes sense. There is usually a big marketing push for Unagi here in Summer because it is supposed to boost your stamina.
I didn’t think about “night-time stamina” but I guess if people buy it maybe it works!
Thanks
steve
Feb 9, 2008 at 3:19 am
Wow I haven’t seen that red box in a long time. No one would ever even know that there was eel in it if you didn’t tell them. I’m trying to find it on the net. I had a Japanese exchange student for a year and she brought some with her and once she found out how much we loved it she had her parents send more. Gift giving is a huge and old custom of the Japanese and unagi pie is a very standard one. Karen was right when she said it comes from Hamamatsu. And because it only comes from there, it’s rather spendy for what it is. But I sure wish I could get it here. More than that though, I wish I could find my host daughter. I lost touch for a while and now regret doing so. Anyway, just seeing that box brought back so many memories. Plus now I know a little bit more about it. LOL. Thanks a bunch.
Sharon
Apr 9, 2008 at 6:50 pm
I just came from the Unagi Pie factory at Hamamatsu which was one of the stops on my Japan trip. The story our tour guide told us was that the vendor thought of it as a late night snack *before* bed. Since everyone has a dirty mind, it was interpreted as an aphrodisiac and sales took off.
stacey
May 14, 2008 at 9:18 am
We have visitors from Japan at my company and they brought some for us to try, I love them! They remind of butter cookies with that sugar on top in the blue container…sooo good. These are just lighter. Is there any way to purchase them online because I dont think I will be visiting Japan anytime soon.
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