Consider The Eel: A Natural And Gastronomic History

by Richard Schweid

Outside of sushi houses and the rare four-star restaurant, most Americans would never think to eat eel, but throughout Europe and Asia you can find it grilled, smoked, stewed, jellied, skewered, fried, baked, sautéed, and even cooked into an omelet. In Consider the Eel, acclaimed writer Richard Schweid takes the reader on a journey to show how this rich yet mild-tasting fish is a vibrant part of the world culture. Discover how eels, from their birth in the Sargasso Sea to their eventual end as a piece of kabayaki or as part of an Italian Christmas dinner, are one of our oldest and least understood gifts from the sea.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Science, History, Food, Natural History, Biology

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Tuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

fascinating world wide look at these global travelers. no, really.
be sure to see prosek 's book on eels also. a wonderful book.

[Notafood · Rating 4 out of 5]

in the vein of "salt" i love when authors take something mundane and dig so deep you will never look at it the same again. eels, however, are anything but mundane. they are reviled and weird, so hidden, and yet schweid unveils their "natural and gastronomic history" until you are fascinated by their beauty.

i am now pro-eel. i said it. i heart eels.

there is also a very hot 17th century poem in this book about eel sex, which i wholeheartedly recommend.

[Hallie]

getting into eels

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know, I know. Eels are icky. They're twisty and slimy and thoroughly unappealing. And yet, I couldn't put this book down. Schweid does for eels what Ellis did for Giant Squid or Kurlansky did for cod: take a maligned or little-known creature and show us the wonder to be found.

Did you know we're still not really sure how eels mate? Or that we wouldn't have a clue where they gave birth if someone hadn't accidentally found a tiny, translucent elver in the Sargasso Sea? It really blows me away that humanity has been interacting with eels for a good long time and we still have so many unanswered questions.

Scweid also introduces us to various people who have some connection to eels, either through their culture or their job (eel fishermen) or their fascination (eel scientist). He does an excellent job introducing us to these people and letting them tell their own stories.

On top of all this, Schweid gives a culinary history of eels, complete with recipes and his own culinary adventures in tracking the recipes down.

Who would have thought that the humble eel would prove so fascinating?

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

great book. made me hungry for sauteed eels. Freud discovered eel testes, way before he was studying humans. Where else can you learn such wonderful stuff as "The eels like nothing better than to come up under a ripe herring in the river and press their heads on the herring’s anal vent, which causes the eggs to stream out"

[Judy Masters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This very short non fiction book is far more interesting than one would imagine. The eel is not a creature I would like to eat, but nonetheless is an intriguing part of the ocean life. The eel's life is still mostly unknow and the book tells of its history in parts of Europe and the United States. Fascinating read. The more I learn the more I realize how little I know. Loved this little book.

[Sonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

Schweid appropriates MK Fisher's famous format for an eel treatment. The eel is, indeed, fascinating and unique but this book did not hold my interest like MKF's -- her prose is more sparkling and humorous. Schweid does his research but writes like a graduate student, alas.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is all about eels and it is ridiculously fascinating.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eels are fucking crazy.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read, lots of info. Prose style.

[Susan Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Representative but informative. A slow read but worth the hassle if considered an interesting topic.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tastes great in Sushi!