Yakimono Glaze Tsume Eel and Teriyaki

Japan — kabayaki unagi preparation documented from Edo period; the tsume reduction technique integral to Edo-mae sushi tradition; teriyaki as a glaze concept developed alongside the yakimono tradition; Narita and Naritasan Shinshoji temple area famous for unagi kabayaki

Tsume (詰め, 'reduced/concentrated') refers to the specific reduction sauces used to glaze grilled fish and seafood in Japanese cuisine — most famously the thick, sweet-savoury glaze applied to unagi (freshwater eel) and anago (saltwater eel) in traditional Edo-mae sushi and kabayaki preparations. The tsume for unagi is produced by simmering the eel's head and bones with soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar until the liquid reduces to a thick, glossy syrup that coats the back of a spoon heavily. This bone-based reduction contains gelatine from the eel's connective tissue, which gives it body and gloss that a simple soy-mirin reduction cannot achieve. Different from teriyaki glaze, tsume is applied multiple times during grilling in the kabayaki method — alternating between steam-cooking (mushiyaki) and direct charcoal grilling while painting tsume in successive coats that build up a lacquered, caramelised exterior. Anago tsume differs slightly from unagi tsume in its seasoning balance — anago's more delicate flesh requires a less assertive glaze. The teriyaki glaze concept is broader: equal parts soy, mirin, sake reduced with sugar to a coating consistency, applied to fish (buri, yellowtail being the classic), chicken, or beef in the final minutes of cooking. The Japanese teriyaki differs from Western interpretations in being lighter, less sweet, and applied only in the final 2-3 minutes of cooking rather than throughout.

Unagi tsume: concentrated eel gelatine sweetness with soy-mirin caramelisation; builds in intensity with each coat; creates the characteristic thick, almost candied surface of kabayaki eel; teriyaki glaze: brighter, lighter than tsume; caramelised soy-mirin with clean, sweet finish