Letter from Ambassador in January - “Thinking about eel – food culture of Denmark and Japan ”

2022/1/31

Dear Friends,

​    I hope that this letter finds you well in the middle of cold winter. At the end of last year, I read a book titled “The Fall of the King (Kongens Fald)” written by Mr. Johannes V. Jensen and translated into Japanese by Professor NAGASHIMA Yoichi. It is a story about the history 500 years ago, describing the life of King Christian II and the last years of Denmark’s Kalmar Union. As my third year in Denmark has just started, fortunately there have been occasions when I joined close conversations with Danish local friends and learned from them. When we celebrate something, in Japan sake (rice wine) is served and in Denmark beer, wine and schnapps are provided that allow us to talk with each other face to face. I guess that it is a wisdom of our societies which already existed 500 years ago and have been succeeded until now.



 

​    There seem to be various dishes accompanying schnapps. I had heard about smoked eel before arriving in Denmark. Indeed, it is so tasty on brown bread open sandwich. Smoked eel has its own deep and nice flavor, which is different from Japanese charcoal-grilled eel. Once I was working in Belgium and tried chopped eel in green soup. To be frank, it had a bit different texture from what I had expected. I was too inexperienced to adjust myself to that eel. (*as a matter of fact, there are plenty of delicious dishes in Belgium.)
​    Someone could tell me who tried to eat eels for the first time in Denmark and Japan. There might be some different opinions on this question. Whatever a right answer would be, I can see many common points (as well as differences) between Japanese grilled eel on rice (“unaju”) and Danish smoked eel on brown bread (“ål smørrebrød” ). First of all, both of us put eel on the main staple. Rice for Japanese and bread for Danes. We share the same sense of style. Secondly, although how to cook eel, either to grill with charcoal or to smoke with chips are different, Japanese and probably Danes enjoy flavor of eel while eating it. Thirdly, eel is delicacy both in Denmark and Japan. The recent sky-rocketing price of eel makes it even more precious delicacy. Maybe, that is why usually neither Danes nor Japanese eat baby eels as people in Spain do so in “ajillo” in hot garlic sauce. Now I might sound a bit too favorably biased, but Japanese and Danes share good chemistry for sustainable food culture.







 

​    I have a good friend called “unagi(eel)” from my university time in Japan. He has worked for fishery companies and has sailed across oceans in the world. Once he holds a knife, this master chef can cook sushi, sashimi and all the different dishes from around the world. He lives in Japan and I assume that his power derives from curiosity and persistence. We have one hobby in common which is theatre. We experienced making stage props and even acting although it is purely amateurs’ hobby. If you would say ”unagi” to theatre goers, it certainly reminds us of the Canne Palm-d’Or winning film in 1997, “Unagi(Eel)” directed by Mr. IMAMURA Shohei, a Japanese film director. To whom would people talk when they feel so lonely? That might be one of common themes which could connect “The Fall of the King” and “Unagi(Eel)” as if they are warp and weft in the same woven clothes.
​    I hope you will forgive me if I have confused you touching upon so many topics in a short article. Looking forward to seeing you somewhere in the Kingdom of Denmark soon or on the next letter in February.
 

 Yours sincerely,
MIYAGAWA Manabu
Embassy of Japan in the Kingdom of Denmark