Grilled Hamo (Pike Conger Eel) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

Kyoto Prefecture

Grilled Hamo (Pike Conger Eel)

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Main lore areas

Location: Kyoto City, Nakatan Region, Tango Region
Main ingredients used

Pike Conger Eel (Hamo)

History/origin/related events

Pike conger eel, often referred to as Hamo, plays an essential role in Kyoto's cuisine. It thrives in the seas influenced by warm currents, and several tons are caught annually in the Tango waters. However, most of the Hamo consumed in Kyoto comes from the Seto Inland Sea or the Genkai Sea.
Resembling eels or conger eels in shape, some Hamo can reach almost 2 meters in length. The larger ones are often over ten years old. These fish hide in sandy mud bottoms or rocky holes during the day and become active at night, favoring a diet of fish, shrimp, and crabs. With sharp teeth and a fierce temperament, Hamo may continue to move violently and even bite after being caught. Despite this ferocious appearance, the flesh is beautifully white with a delicate flavor.
Preparing Hamo can be challenging due to its numerous small bones, but it has become an integral part of Kyoto's cuisine, largely because the resilient Hamo could be transported live to Kyoto from faraway places.
Chefs use a unique technique called "honekiri" (bone cutting) to deal with the problematic small bones during cooking. Mastering this method requires skill, and it is often said that a Kyoto chef isn't fully trained until they have learned it.
Though it's unclear when Hamo consumption began, a compilation from the latter part of the Edo period titled "Hamu hyakuchin" (Sea Eel Hundred Rarities) lists over 100 Hamo dishes. Traditional dishes such as blanched hamo no otoshi, shabu-shabu, sashimi, and others are still enjoyed today, with grilled Hamo being a standard offering.
Opportunities and times of eating habits

Hamo is in season from early summer through late summer to autumn. As its preparation requires significant effort, it's rarely cooked at home and typically enjoyed at restaurants.
It also features prominently in the "Gion Festival" (held from July 1st to 31st), a significant intangible folk cultural property of Japan and a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. Often referred to as the "Hamo Festival," Hamo dishes are served as ceremonial meals during this time.
How to eat

Grilled Hamo can be marinated in a soy sauce-based sauce or salted before grilling. It complements rice as a side dish or can be enjoyed as a snack with sake. Since Hamo's meat is thin, care is required when grilling to avoid drying and hardening on high heat.
Efforts for Preservation and Succession

Though rarely made at home, it is a delicacy served in ryotei and kappo restaurants. Some even offer full-course menus of Hamo, including grilled Hamo, Hamo Shabu, and Hamo Sushi.

RECIPE

Ingredients (serves 2)

Hamo 1 piece (after bone removal)
Sauce 6 tablespoons (ratio of 40% dark soy sauce, 50% sake, 10% mirin)

How to cook

1. Cut the Hamo to fit the pan size and skewer the body lengthwise with four sticks to prevent the skin from shrinking and curling up. When skewering, thread it along the skin, taking care not to let the skewer tip protrude.
2. Before grilling, slightly shorten the flesh length. First, grill the skin side until well-seared, then flip it and grill the flesh for about 80%, and the skin for 20%, of the total grilling time.
3. After grilling the Hamo as per step 2, pour the sauce over it and grill again in the pan. Repeat this process 2-3 times.

provider : Recipe provided by: "Kyoto no kyodo ryori (Kyoto's Local Cuisine)" (co-authored by Hisako Iizuka, Sachiko Shigeno, and Minako Hori)

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

Grilled Hamo (Pike Conger Eel) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

Kyoto Prefecture