Seafood Dishes

Unadon is a Japanese dish consisting of grilled unagi (eel) fillets placed on top of steamed rice. The eel is grilled kabayaki-style, where the fish is split, gutted, butterflied, cut into squares, skewered, then diped in tare sauce before being grilled. The tare sauce consists of soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake. It provides the necessary caramelization to the fish during the grilling process. Before serving, unadon is typically garnished with sanshō berries on top. In Kantō, the eel is traditionally steamed before grilling, resulting in a more tender texture of the fish, while in Kansai, the eel is simply grilled without prior steaming. This way of enjoying eel over rice was invented in the Edo era, and nowadays it is a classic dish in Japanese cuisine.

Unadon

Australia

Ura vakalolo is a specialty hailing from Fiji that consists of whole prawns coated with coconut cream sauce. Prawns are known as ura in Fiji and are often cooked in salted water or coconut milk. This dish is a variation of a Fijian delicacy that involves simmering fish, prawns, shrimps, lobsters, or chicken in coconut cream. The cream often contains ingredients such as onions, ginger, tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, and chili peppers.

Ura vakalolo

Spain

Vieiras en su concha is a traditional dish originating from Galicia, consisting of scallops served in their shells. The dish is usually made with a combination of scallops, olive oil, onions, garlic, piment&oacute;n, white wine, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and parsley. The garlic, onions, and piment&oacute;n are saut&eacute;ed in olive oil, then covered with wine, tomato sauce, and seasonings in order to create a sauce. The scallops are boiled and arranged on a baking sheet in their shells, then topped with the tomato mixture, breadcrumbs, and parsley. They're cooked under the broiler until the top becomes golden, and the scallops are then served immediately.

Vieiras en su concha

Vietnam

Vu dai braised fish is a traditional dish originating from the Vu Dai village, also known as Dai Hoang village. It&rsquo;s made with amur fish, galangal, ginger, pork belly, shallots, chili peppers, lime juice, fish sauce, pepper, and sugar. The ginger, shallots, chili peppers, and galangal are finely chopped and mix, while the rest of the galangal is cut into thin slices and placed into a clay cooking pot. The galangal slices are topped with the fish, thick slices of pork belly, and finely chopped mix of ginger, shallots, galangal, and chili peppers. The combination is braised for 6 to 10 hours in a mixture of fish sauce, broth mix, sugar, lime juice, and pepper. When the water in the pot becomes slightly thick, the pot is taken off the heat and the fish is ready to be served and enjoyed. This traditional recipe has been passed down from generation to generation in Vu Dai village.

Vu Dai Braised Fish

China

This hearty dish belongs to Anhui cuisine, one of China&rsquo;s renowned eight major cuisines. The dish consists of soaked fish stomachs and crab meat cooked in flavorsome chicken stock along with shiitake mushrooms, Chinese wine, spices, and seasonings. It is traditionally consumed hot, garnished with coriander and accompanied by condiments such as vinegar and flaked chili.

Xie lian yu du

This popular Hangzhou dish with a sweet and sour flavor is traditionally made with cleaned grass carp that is poached or steamed with ginger, then covered with a sauce consisting of black vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, corn flour, water, and stock. When served, the fish is usually topped with sesame oil and finely chopped spring onions. Some sources date West Lake vinegar fish to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), when it was supposedly prepared by a woman named Sister Song in her restaurant near the West Lake.

Xihu cu yu

Yakizakana is a term denoting all Japanese-style grilled fish dishes, and the fish is always served whole. This simple dish is served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner in Japan, and the fish can be left as it is, salted, or marinated, usually in soy sauce or miso. If properly grilled, the flesh must remain firm, yet moist, while the skin should be crispy. The most popular fish that's used for yakizakana include horse mackerel, salmon, cod, and needlefish. Yakizakana is served as a main dish with a bowl of rice and a bowl of miso soup on the side, and in kaiseki ryori, a traditional Japanese meal that's served in courses, yakizakana is served as the sixth dish.

Yakizakana

Y&eacute;tiss&eacute; is a traditional African dish originating from Guinea. This stew is prepared with fish such as tuna, tilapia, or cod, vegetables such as eggplants, carrots, onions, garlic, and cassava, along with tomatoes, tomato paste, stock cubes, palm oil, hot peppers, ginger, okra, and rice. The stew is simmered until the vegetables become tender, and the browned fish is placed into the pot near the end of cooking. Once done, it's served with a combination of crushed okra and white rice. This communal dish is meant to be shared, so it's often served on a large plate with the stew in the middle and the rice all around it. Y&eacute;tiss&eacute; can also be prepared with beef or chicken, if desired.

Yétissé

Stir-fry shrimps or you bao xia is a Chinese dish where whole shrimps are stir-fried in a wok until crispy. They are then soaked in a savory sauce that typically consists of chicken broth, black vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and Shaoxing wine. Scallions and ginger slices are often used during the cooking process, but they might also be used as garnishes before the dish is served. Stir-fry shrimps are especially popular at Chinese New Year celebrations.

You bao xia

Zarzuela de mariscos is a traditional Catalan seafood stew. Although the dish is similar to Marseille's bouillabaise, it's more rustic because it contains ground almonds, and the flavors are bolder due to ingredients such as cured pork, peppers, and tomatoes. The foundation of zarzuela de mariscos, however, are mussels, clams, and shrimp, but some people like to add scallops and calamari as well. Other ingredients include saffron, white wine, olive oil, bay leaves, onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme, with smoked paprika and parsley used as garnishes. In Spain, zarzuela de mariscos is also commonly served as a tapa. The name zarzuela means operetta or variety show, referring to the versatility of the dish &ndash; the more seafood you add to the pot, the better its flavor will be.

Zarzuela de mariscos

Drunken prawn is a Chinese dish that is somewhat unorthodox because the prawns are eaten while still alive. The method of preparing is quite simple and quick - prawns are shortly submerged in alcohol, preferably in strong Chinese rice wine, and as soon as the effects of alcohol have taken place and the prawns have relaxed, they are eaten. There are some variations of this dish where the prawns are boiled, either before or after marinating them in alcohol.

Zui xia

Traditional Polish fish soup usually consists of fish fillets, vegetables, and a variety of spices and fresh herbs. Even though the choice of ingredients and the method of preparation might vary, the soup is usually made with a flavorful fish broth. For most Poles, this hearty soup is a vital part of every Christmas Eve dinner, when it is traditionally prepared with carp and enjoyed as one of the first courses.

Zupa rybna

Italy

Zuppa di muscoli is a traditional mussel soup originating from Liguria. The soup is usually made with a combination of mussels, garlic, tomato paste, dry white wine, parsley, garlic, olive oil, and toasted bread. The mussels are cooked in water until they open. They're removed from the pot, while the cooking liquid is reserved for later. The garlic and parsley are saut&eacute;ed in olive oil and mixed with the tomato paste, wine, and mussels with some of the cooking liquid. The soup is simmered for a few minutes, and it's then typically served over toasted bread in deep bowls.