By Food Recipy Team on January 20, 2026
An Unagi Roll is a type of sushi from Japan. It is composed of grilled eel and rice. “Unagi” in Japanese means eel. The eel is delicious and tender. In the preparation of this sushi, special rice and seaweed are used. The cooked eel is then inserted, sometimes with cucumber or avocado. Subsequently, it is sliced into smaller pieces. They pour a tasty sauce on top. Wow, this will be shiny and sweet. The eel is fried between the shell and the eel, so it is warm, tasty and yummy. Except the sweet sauce and eel let the customer make the taste by themselves by eating and mixing all this stuffing.
This Roll is a Japanese style of sushi, which is what sushi is. Inside is grilled eel. You must have eel, a type of sticky rice called sushi rice, and seaweed. Others want to add cucumber or avocado for a different, but crisp, flavor. However, in some places, cream cheese is placed too.
Eel is cooked with a sweet and salty sauce at the initial part and then cutting it into thin strips. The assembling process includes eel, seaweed, and a type of rice exclusively developed for sushi recipes and then the roll is made. The roll is sliced into small bites. On top, a sweet eel sauce is poured which ladles a shiny treat as a result.
The restaurant chefs also make each piece of sushi with great care. The shiny eel and the dark sauce create an awesome finish on each piece. This is a traditional way of sushi done the Japanese way to achieve the tastiness of sweet and smoky.
The eel has become one of the most important foods in Japan and it has been around for quite a long time. A long time ago, in the Edo period, the people had their grilled eel, which is a rich and good street food. Presently, people eat eels on Ox Day in summer to gather strength and combat the heat of summer. Eel is very popular in Japan between July and August.
You may never have heard of the unagi as it is a new idea from the one called nigiri (a way of eating eel on rice). The rolls of maki were first made of eel and it was with sushi that ended up in other countries where, as we can see, it had the loss of eel from Japan and the maki was the first line in the food competition. As sushi was shipped to other countries, the chefs began making eel rolls as well. The Dragon Roll, for one, could be avocado-covered. The clusters of rolls on top and bottom might look like dragon’s armor.
Despite this, eel sauce is put on every style. Unagi is a great choice on sushi menus because they have a nice taste and shine as well.
Nevertheless, when more and more people wanted unagi, the eels population fell drastically. The techniques of eel farming have developed over the years and nowadays eels from China, or Taiwan are used. Who would believe that with all these changes, unagi, a part of sushi in Japan, can still be a consumer favorite?
Making a roll is simple and fun. Here are the steps:
That is the way to make a roll. You can make special versions such as the Green Dragon Roll with avocado on top. However, bear in mind that the creating process, very important, is all about how to turn the eel meat into tender and get the desired result of sweet sauce. The eel is very delicious and, of course, the chef’s secret is to use just the right sweet sauce. He leaves the rest of the materials as they were when his mom was young and that contributes to the taste.
Unagi, which is a form of eel, is delicious and nutritious for you. It contains a lot of protein, healthy fats, and vitamins. The following are the contents of 100g of eel:
This roll has higher calories because it contains fat, however, the fat is super healthy for your heart. The protein availability is sufficient to guard against the loss of muscles. The presence of Vitamin A in eel promotes the health of the eyes and the body. Eel 100g has more calcium than milk and it also contains such important minerals as iron.
When you eat a 6-piece roll, you get roughly 150-250 calories and 7-10g of protein. The calorie dense roll is a quick energy source that can be eaten in mere bites, giving super strong bursts of energy. This is when people in Japan eat eel during hot months to regain their energy source.
While eel has great protein and not so bad fat, the healthy elements make it comparable to a small “power meal” with virtually all the nutrients. People even today realize the advantages of taking it for managing heat and for general health.
Unagi is not a regular fish. It is a freshwater eel, which is a long fish that resembles a snake and lives in rivers and lakes. Unagi in sushi always refers to this particular species of freshwater eel. There is another type that is called anago, a fresh fish.
No, this is not raw. The eel which is the main ingredient is cooked at all times. It is first grilled with sweet sauce until it is warm and succulent. This option is also good for people who do not like raw sushi.
It depends on Islamic rules people follow.
However:
Because of this, some Muslims avoid unagi. Others may eat it. If you follow halal rules, it is best to check what your school of thought allows before eating unagi.
The soft filling combines the aromatic eel of the shrimp and the relaxed rice. It is a unique sushi with a rich history and helpful nutrients. In the meantime, those of you who are familiar with sushi or those who are newcomers to it, surely can appreciate the Japanese way of life through a roll. Every bite lets you enjoy smoky, sweet, and fresh flavors.
Eels are traditionally eaten during summer, and it is a time-honored practice to include them in the diet. Savor this dish while upholding any food laws and taste a sample of Japanese food history.