Unagi Nobori – eel drink
Step aside Pepsi Blue Hawaii and Pepsi Ice Cucumber. We in Japan have a new hotness in town – Unagi Nobori (うなぎのぼり) – which translates to ‘Surging Eel’ and is a new summer drink which hit the nation’s stores this month.
Summer is known as ‘eel season’ here because the Japanese believe eating eel boosts stamina in hot weather. The traditional eel days fall on July 24 and August 5 this year.
Because of this summer tradition, Japan Tobacco Inc. decided to release what is believed to be the first mass-produced eel drink in Japan. The drink mainly targets men:
“It’s mainly for men who are exhausted by the summer’s heat,” Hayashi said of the beverage, believed to be the first mass-produced eel drink in Japan.
The drink supposedly contains extracts from the head and bones of eels. This also means you’ll also be consuming the goodness of a handful of vitamins which are contained in the fish itself – vitamin A, B1, B2, D and E.
As you can see from my pic above, the drink is vivid yellow in colour. It is also fizzy. How does it taste? Actually, the taste does resemble that of eel! Definitely something you either love or loathe, period.
The drink costs ¥147 for a bottle which contains 480ml.
Update: 2008.08.15:
My photos miraculously disappeared. I’ve attached an official pic instead:
A drink that tastes like eel? Yuk. No, thanks.
Did you end up finding it? I want to try it!
I will love to collect it, but not drink it… it’s so erwwwww………..