One bowl of eel rice, three ways to enjoy it！Top three must-try foods in Nagoya

Nagoya’s food culture is unique and fascinating！According to statistics, 56.5% of tourists visit Nagoya for its cuisine, followed by its historical landmarks. Daisuke Otake, a renowned Japanese writer specializing in Nagoya’s food, once said that the Nagoya people’s love for food is deeply tied to the history of Aichi Prefecture. Local specialties such as red miso, wagashi (traditional sweets), and the tea culture all trace back to powerful warlords from the Warring States period—like Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu—who were all gourmands. When we savor the flavors of Nagoya, it’s like taking a journey back in time.

A 10-minute walk from Nagoya Station, there’s a popular local spot called “Unzen,” frequented by many office workers in suits and ties around lunchtime.

Traditional Nagoya-style eel rice is served with the eel sliced into several pieces on top of the rice. It’s said that in ancient times, eel rice was served in large pots so everyone could share the eel, hence the smaller slices. Another theory suggests that restaurants cut the eel finely so their staff could eat faster.

Regardless of the origin story, the eel at Unzen comes from at the foot of Mount Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture. The clean stream water there ensures the eels have no fishy taste. The restaurant uses the Kanto-style method: steaming the eel first, then grilling it over charcoal.

The “three ways” to eat Nagoya eel rice start by cutting the eel and rice in the bowl into four equal sections with a cross-shaped cut, then scooping them into a small bowl. The first way is to enjoy it as is. The second way is to sprinkle chopped green onions, mustard, seaweed, and a bit of sansho pepper on top, mix lightly, and eat. The third way is to pour hot broth into the bowl and add some of the seasonings from the second way. For the final serving, choose your favorite of the three methods and enjoy it one more time.

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