Eels

[Morning Glory]

Eels were very popular in the UK in the form of jellied eels, traditionally served with pie and mash in 'pie 'n mash' shops. A few of these cafes remain and you can still buy jellied eels here, though they are not so easy to find. Of course, 'jellied' is not the only way to eat them.

Unfortunately they are an endangered species now.

Several posts discussing eels can be found here and in some following posts:

Which food or dish in your travel that you are afraid to try?

Smoked eels are another popular way to eat them.

Have you eaten them before?

 

[Morning Glory]

Two interesting facts about eels:

• Its spawning migration across the Atlantic into European freshwater is one of the world’s longest and most complex fish migrations.
• While we don’t know its typical lifespan in the wild, they tend to live around 80 years on average in captivity.

European eel

 

[Morning Glory]

Here is a pie 'n mash cafe near me which serves jellied eels:

 

[Gone Hiking]

I've never had them, nor have I even seen them anywhere for sale. I'd absolutely try smoked eels, but jellied does not sound appetizing. When I was a kid, we used to catch them in the saltwater canal we lived by, but we never kept them. They used to be native to many American rivers on the East coast and were a major food source for American Indians. The construction of dams, however, cut off their migration in many rivers, so there are none to speak of today, barring some modest efforts at restoration.

 

[badjak]

I've had them smoked.
Preferably with head and skin attached and still luke warm. Then break the head of and strip of the skin and eat the meat...

I've also had them in Japan a couple of times. I think they were grilled and very tasty.

 

[SoCalZone10]

I never cooked them myself but my mom probably knew how to cook them. I only eat them at Japanese restaurants.
I think the jellied eels probably have lots of collagen.

 

[Gone Hiking]

I never cooked them myself but my mom probably knew how to cook them. I only eat them at Japanese restaurants.
I think the jellied eels probably have lots of collagen.

I forgot about sushi, lol. I actually have had them like that!

 

[karadekoolaid]

I've never dreamed of eating jellied eels; it just sounds so unappetising. My dad loved them, however.
Like others, the only eel I've ever eaten is Japanese.
A friend of mine actually domesticated some once. You'd see him walking down the street with the blighters on a lead behind him, shouting:
" 'eel, 'eel! "