Plump Hamamatsu eel grown in a warm climate. Visit the birthplace of eel farming.

Unajyu has a sweet and spicy aroma. There are nearly 80 eel restaurants in Hamamatsu City, and ``Hamamatsu Eel'' was selected as one of the ``100 Best Scented Sceneries'' by the Ministry of the Environment. I think it's so well-known that it can be said that Hamamatsu is synonymous with eel. Why Hamamatsu's eel is so famous?This time, we'll learn about the history of Hamamatsu's eel and its farming, and unravel the secret behind its deliciousness.

Lake Hamana is the birthplace of farmed eel. It has the perfect climate and natural features for eel farming.

Lake Hamana is a brackish water lake where freshwater and seawater meet. This is the birthplace of eel farming.
During the Meiji period, Kurajiro Hattori, a river fish merchant, attempted to research eel farming in Fukagawa, Tokyo, and after seeing Lake Hamana on a train, he decided that it would be perfect for eel farming, and decided to farm it here. It is said that he started it.
During the wintering season of 44 and 45, gill nephritis was prevalent, and production decreased significantly. As a countermeasure, heating facilities were started on a trial basis around 46 to prevent the outbreak of fish diseases in the winter. At that time, the price of heavy oil used as fuel was extremely low, so it gradually became popular. Later, Keijiro Muramatsu established a method to dramatically increase aquaculture production, and this aquaculture method spread throughout the country.

Lake Hamana has the following conditions that are ideal for eel farming.
(1) It is possible to catch glass eels that migrate upstream.
(2) They are easy to raise because they are supplied with abundant groundwater from the Mikatahara Plateau.
(3) Warm environment with an average annual temperature of around 15 degrees.
Although the production volume is currently handed over to other prefectures, Hamamatsu's eel, which has a warm climate and abundant underground water supply, is still famous throughout the country for its good taste and quality.

Learn about eel farming at Lake Hamana at Ebisen, which was founded in 11.

We visited Ebisen, an eel farming business founded in 1922 (Taisho 11), and spoke to Senichiro Kamo.
``Ebisen'' was originally founded as a company that handled prawns. Currently, we are a company that handles everything from eel farming to a variety of marine products such as shrimp, crabs, and fish, as well as processed seafood products, and handles everything from farming and processing to wholesale and sales at brick-and-mortar stores.

Glass eels were caught in the Lake Hamana area, and the sericulture and textile industries were also flourishing, so eel farming using silkworms as bait began. Another advantage was that it was located in the middle of Tokyo and Osaka, and had a well-developed transportation network.

At the peak of the Showa era, there were about 480 eel farms near Lake Hamana, but only about 30 remain today. ``The view from the Shinkansen used to be dominated by eel ponds, but now there are a lot of mega solar farms,'' Kamo says.
It is thought that the cause of the decline was that cheap eel came in from China and Taiwan in the 60s, and consumers migrated there, causing many businesses to go out of business due to poor management. . After that, domestic eel was re-evaluated and continues to be valued today.

Ebisen actually withdrew from eel farming at one point, but resumed it in 1989 (Heisei XNUMX).
"In addition to Yoshida Town in Shizuoka Prefecture, eel farming is also carried out in Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Taiwan, China, and other places both in Japan and overseas. In the past, the goal was to raise a lot of eels.
Although it is difficult to become the number one producer in Japan as in the past, we want to make farmed eel from Lake Hamana the most delicious eel in Japan. We are currently working with second and third generation eel farmers to produce quality eel. We would like to collaborate with fishermen who fish for whitebait in Lake Hamana and the Enshu Sea, eel farms, eel distribution wholesalers, and eel specialty stores to create a situation where we can increase production. "I want to make eel that is safe, secure, and delicious," says Mr. Kamo enthusiastically.

To grow delicious eels from Lake Hamana. Trial and error every day from feeding to raising methods.

We were guided to the eel pond. This place was created in 2022 as a place to provide tourist information and to convey the appeal of Lake Hamana's farmed eels. We also lead social studies tours at nearby elementary schools and sightseeing tours, so you can learn about eel farming by actually seeing it with your own eyes. They are planning to continue making improvements to make it easier for sightseeing.
A water temperature of 28 to 30 degrees is said to be the ideal environment for eels to grow, and for this purpose a heat-retaining plastic greenhouse is used. There are pipes running through the water, and during the cold season, hot water is passed through the pipes to heat the water.

"The most important thing when raising them is creating an environment where oxygen can circulate properly. Then there's the food. We order the ingredients, mix and knead them ourselves, and make the food."
In order to raise delicious eels, we use trial and error every day to create feed. We knead soybean-based ingredients and pollack flour to make something like chewy dumplings.
"You can rest assured that it is made with ingredients that humans can eat. Just as people think about their health, we also think about the health of the eel, and we also include oligosaccharides and other substances that improve the intestinal environment."
He said that he is working on various initiatives, such as conducting joint research with universities. If you want to watch the feeding process, the best time is around 8:17 a.m. or XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.

Ebisen also sells eels wholesale, which are harvested from the mineral-rich groundwater of the Tenryu River system, and skilled craftsmen cut the eels at an adjacent processing plant, where they are also processed and sold. A veteran craftsman may handle around 1 fish a day.

At Yamamoto-tei, enjoy the plump grilled eel using a secret sauce.

"Yamamoto-tei" was founded in 1975 (Showa 50). The second-generation owner, Kosuke Yamamoto, was recognized as a ``Creator of the Fujinokuni Food Capital'' for actively using ingredients from Shizuoka Prefecture and contributing to the promotion of Shizuoka Prefecture's agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and food culture. I'm a chef.
The restaurant serves dishes made with fresh fish from Lake Hamana and the Enshu Sea, including eels from Ebisu, as well as soft-shelled turtle dishes. The fish are released into a fish tank filled with underground seawater pumped up from a depth of 50m, ensuring that the fish served are extremely fresh. The fish tanks are also cleaned once every two weeks, so you can enjoy your meal while watching the fish swim right in front of you from the first floor seats.
In addition, if you sit by the window, you can see Lake Hamana, and having a seat with that view will become a memorable scene from your trip.

The eel is fragrantly grilled with a secret sauce that is added to the dish, and the aroma alone will whet your appetite.
This sauce is actually even older than the restaurant's founding in 50, and it has a history of being used as a replacement from the sauce that my grandmother used when she ran the restaurant under a different name.

``The eels from Lake Hamana, including the eels from Ebisen, are of good quality because they have a warm climate and use high-quality feed.In particular, thanks to the warm climate, the eels grow quickly. This makes the eel's bones less noticeable. Just like humans, if the eel grows slowly, the bones become thicker, but if the eel grows in a short period of time, the eel will be better."

In addition, eel grown in a warm environment is softer, so it takes less time to steam the eel. This restaurant serves Kanto-style eel, so steaming is part of the process, but one of the characteristics of the eel is that it is steamed shallower than the original Kanto-style eel.

Every morning, Ebisen carefully selects and delivers fresh, live eel.
``We don't leave it up to you, we want to get the best quality eel, so we carefully watch the eels we receive.You can tell the quality of the eel by touching it.You can also tell by the color of the skin and the size of the head. I understand. We carefully assess these factors before purchasing and processing the eel," he said, explaining his commitment to eel.

Before having the Unaju, we recommend having a glass of Shirayaki eel and local sake. Generally, Shirayaki is simply grilled before adding sauce, but here we have an original version of Shirayaki that is grilled with sake and mirin-based sauce. This seems to give a fluffier finish. I would like you to top it with a mixture of wasabi and grated daikon radish and add a little soy sauce.

Sample itinerary for the spots introduced this time

*By car

9:30
Depart from JR Hamamatsu Station.

10:00
At Ebisen, we will hear about the history of eel farming in Lake Hamana and tour the eel farming pond.

12:00
Lunch at Yamamoto-tei

14:00
Arrive at JR Hamamatsu Station.

(Inquiries: Yuto Town Takiya Fisheries Association 053-592-2260　https://takiyaryou.jp）