What Is Eel Sauce?
Eel sauce, also called nitsume or unagi sauce, is a thick, glossy sauce made by simmering soy sauce, sugar, and mirin (or sake) until reduced to a syrupy consistency. It tastes sweet, salty, and slightly caramelized, and despite its name, it doesn't actually contain any eel.
More detail
The name comes from its traditional use as a glaze for grilled freshwater eel (unagi) in Japanese cooking, not from any eel used in making the sauce itself. Traditionally, the sauce was made by repeatedly basting eel with a soy-mirin-sugar mixture as it grilled, and the eel's natural juices and fat would drip into the glaze over time, deepening its flavor and color. The bottled version sold in the US, often just labeled 'eel sauce,' is a simplified soy-sugar-mirin reduction made without any actual eel drippings.
Where it's used
In Japan, this sauce (called nitsume or tare) is brushed onto grilled unagi and anago dishes like unadon and unagi don. In American sushi restaurants, it's become a staple drizzle for rolls like dragon roll, unagi nigiri, and California rolls, valued for the sticky sweetness it adds against rice and raw fish.
Substitutes
A homemade version can be made by simmering equal parts soy sauce and mirin with sugar until it thickens into a syrup, roughly a 20-minute reduction. Teriyaki sauce is a reasonable stand-in in a pinch, though it's typically thinner and less sweet.
FAQ
Does eel sauce actually contain eel?
No. Commercial bottled eel sauce is made from soy sauce, sugar, and mirin or sake. The name refers to its traditional pairing with grilled eel, not an ingredient in the sauce itself.
What does eel sauce taste like?
It's sweet and salty with a thick, sticky texture similar to teriyaki sauce, but more concentrated and glossy from the sugar reduction.
Is eel sauce the same as unagi sauce?
Yes, unagi sauce and eel sauce are the same product; unagi is the Japanese word for freshwater eel, and both names refer to the sweet soy glaze traditionally used with it.
How long does eel sauce last once opened?
Bottled eel sauce keeps for several months in the refrigerator after opening, since its high sugar and salt content acts as a natural preservative.
