Red flesh
Japanese conger eel (Anago)
【Nigiri sushi: Nimono】
Anago (Japanese conger eel) used for sushi toppings refers to the species Conger myriaster, belonging to the order Anguilliformes and the family Congridae. There is an old saying that “the best anago is from Edomae (the historical name for Tokyo Bay),” and even today, the anago caught off Haneda (near present-day Tokyo International Airport) is considered to be of particularly high quality. However, it is not available in large quantities and rarely reaches the general market.
In addition to the waters off Haneda, Japanese conger eel found in Tokyo Bay—such as around Kanazawa-Hakkei in Kanagawa Prefecture, and Kisarazu and Futtsu in Chiba Prefecture—also has excellent flavor. The species is distributed widely throughout Japan, from Hokkaido in the north to the southern regions. It is also commonly caught in Tsushima (Nagasaki Prefecture) and in the Seto Inland Sea.
When Yohei Hanaya, the founder of Edomae sushi, first opened his shop, it is said that he introduced boiled Japanese conger eel as a sushi topping, alongside clams and Kuruma prawns. Since Japanese conger eel has been used as a sushi topping since the early days of Edomae sushi, each restaurant places great emphasis on its preparation, and many establishments have developed their own distinctive flavor profiles.