x-no-archive: yes

Confusion on the names and types of eels are understandable. You have
the following factors in play:

1. Scientific community and the cooking community don't jibe well with
terms.

2. Some cooking web sites are loaded with vicarious information without
verification. i.e. Few food references indicate anago is cultured. It
is not. Catch and hold until market (few weeks max.), yes. Complete
life cycle culture, no.

If there is a scientific publications of the research, pictures, data,
etc. on anago culture; It would be a breakthrough research I would
like to add to my archives.

3. But the clincher is that scientific order Anguilliformes which
includes both the Anguillidae (unagi comes under it)and Congridae
(anago comes under it), total around 260 different species of eels.

4. Based on #3 above, fishmongers will sell whatever the market will
buy, be it a specific eel for sushi or a similar one. Caveat Emptor.


Bon gusto,

Walter Rhee