When my friend Rieko from Japan came to visit, she brought a bunch of fun gifts. Among the more exotic were a pack of Baby Foot (which hadn’t made it to Denmark yet back then), some jet-black cotton swabs (so you can see what you’re dealing with—genius!), and a box of Hamamatsu Unagi Pie.
Unagi means eel in Japanese, and yes, Unagi Pie is exactly what it sounds like: a sweet pastry made with eel. But don’t worry, it’s not a fishy pie in the traditional sense. Think buttery, flaky palmier-style pastry, crisp and caramelized, with just a touch of eel extract in the dough. Sounds strange? It is. But it also kind of works.
The ones Rieko gave me were the deluxe version with a hint of cognac. They were golden, light, and crisp with a sweet, toasty flavor. No fishiness whatsoever, which, frankly, was a relief, because very eel-flavored pastries would have been too weird. Just knowing that dried eel had been added to the dough was enough to make me proceed with caution.
What is Unagi Pie?
Unagi Pie is a regional specialty from Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan. It was first created in the early ’60s by the local bakery Shunkado, which still makes them today.
The pies are made from a buttery, flaky dough similar to what’s used for palmiers—thin, crisp, and caramelized—with a small amount of eel extract mixed in. Some versions also include garlic or cognac. The result is a golden, oval-shaped pastry with a sweet, toasty flavor and just the tiniest hint of something savory in the background.
The eels from Lake Hamana in Hamamatsu are considered some of the best in Japan, which probably explains why someone, at some point, thought they deserved a spot in the ingredient list of a pastry.
If you ever find yourself in Hamamatsu, you can visit the Unagi Pie factory and see how it’s all made. They offer free tours, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are samples involved, because how else are you going to convince people to try pastries made with eel?
Visit the Unagi Pie Factory’s website>
