May 20, 2015 — Unagi, or freshwater eel, is a favorite summer dish in Japan, broiled and grilled with sweetened soy sauce and served with rice. But the price of the delicacy has climbed in recent years, as eel hauls plunged due to overfishing and pollution. Unagi is now listed as an endangered species.
Researchers at Kinki University say they have found a solution: catfish that taste like eel.
A team led by the university’s associate professor Masahiko Ariji said they have succeeded in breeding catfish that taste like unagi, and this month the results are being served on a trial basis at restaurants in western Japan.
How good are the catfish? “You wouldn’t be able to tell they’re not unagi unless you are told so,” Mr. Ariji told Japan Real Time. It might not be as good as the most expensive types of unagi that are caught domestically, but is definitely better than cheaper imports, he said.
Read the full story at the Wall Street Journal