usa (MAINE), mOROCCO
AMERICAN UNAGI
Eels are mysterious creatures, but their path to your plate doesn’t need to be. Most of the eel purchased in the US is imported from halfway around the world — including eels originally caught in Maine — with no transparency on where they were fished or how they were raised. American Unagi is pioneering a clear, ethical and sustainable supply from their farm in mid-coast Maine and their partners in Morocco.
the eels
Eels have a rich history of connection with cultures and recipes all over the world. American Unagi eels trapped and raised in Maine are the heart of the business, but the farm also partners with a family-owned operation in Morocco harvesting and raising European eels to the same standards and mission. This partnership ensures a continuous supply throughout the year.
At both farms, the eels are fed a nourishing and customized feed without hormones or antibiotics. Grow-out takes between seven months and two years as different eels will naturally grow at different rates. To harvest, eels are killed by electric shock and put in an ice bath, then processed onsite and butterflied for sale as raw fillet or smoked.
The cleaned raw frozen fillets are easy to use for Japanese preparations such as unagi kabyaki, many classic Italian recipes, and bringing your own creativity to this incredible fish. Eels are also hot smoked using a traditional European recipe of oak and alder wood, creating a savory, delicate and versatile product with a fat content that truly makes it the bacon of the sea. No part of the fish is wasted with heads and bones sold for making stocks and sauces.
The Fishery, Farm and Mission
With the purchase of an American Unagi eel, you are not only supporting a well-managed glass eel fishery but a coastal Maine community with deep roots in the working waterfront. In spring, baby eels, known as glass eels or elvers, are captured by fyke nets as they swim upriver from the sea. The fishery is small-scale but an important source of income for the nearly 500 individual permit holders and local tribes with quotas ranging from 4-50 lbs per season since glass eels can fetch up to $2,500 per pound on the global market.
The glass eels are then transported to American Unagi’s facility to be raised in grow-out tanks until harvest size. The farm is vertically integrated and all in the same location, with grow-out tanks, harvest and processing all happening in a single, controlled environment. Their new facility has sustainability in mind at every level, recycling 90% of the water in the tanks and using it to heat the building as it runs under the floors. Farm capacity is 240 million metric tons, the largest in the US.
American Unagi was founded by Sara Rademaker, a Midwestern native with a passion for aquaculture that took her from shepherding aquaponic micro-businesses in the US to managing large-scale aquaculture farms in Africa. Her passion for native fish species landed her in Maine to establish the country’s largest commercial eel farm.
In the kitchen
The eel fillets are butterflied and individually frozen to preserve their freshness and rich umami flavors. The clean raw frozen fillets are easy to use. Smoked eel is skin-on and ready to use.
The American eels raised in Maine are often a little fattier than the European eels raised in Morocco, but most people notice no taste difference between the species.
In addition to being delicious and versatile, eels are one of the highest sources of vitamin D.
CERTIFICATIONS, RATINGS AND AWARDS
No major certifiers rate eels. Eel harvests are regulated in the US and Europe for the sustainability of the species and are caught to their yearly quota.
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