Consider The Eel: A Natural And Gastronomic History

by Richard Schweid | Nonfiction |
ISBN: 0306813319 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 10/11/2011
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7 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Sunday, October 16, 2011
I got this fair-condition softcover from Better World Books. It's about the life cycle of the eel - and about the ways it's been harvested for food by humans throughout civilization. Should be interesting to compare it to other history-of-seafood books like Cod and The Big Oyster - or perhaps, as both of those are by Mark Kurlansky, I should be comparing authors instead!

Later: While I think I prefer Kurlansky's writing, I did enjoy this book, and learned a lot about eels. (I've only eaten them in sashimi, as it happens, though I've been tempted by some of the medieval recipes about stewed eels, not to mention the skewered eels described so lovingly in the "pub food" volume of Oishinbo!) The book touches on the culinary uses of eels worldwide and through history, and on the difficulties of farming them vs. fishing for them; they have an unusual life cycle.

There are some unsavory elements here, such as a quote from the novel The Tin Drum about using a horse's head as bait for eels; the description is both ghastly and funny, but might put the squeamish off of any idea of having eels for dinner {wry grin}.

Eels as food for the early American colonists, pet eels, eels as prey for poachers - and a few recipes, including one from North Carolina for stewed eel, and one for jellied eel (which sounds... interesting, if possibly an acquired taste). Now to find some eels!

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing at Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Friday, September 7, 2012

Released 11 yrs ago (9/7/2012 UTC) at Nashua, New Hampshire USA

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I'm putting this book into MaryZee's Biographies of Things bookbox. I'll be handing the box off to next-in-line eponine38 on Friday. Enjoy! [I see that another eel-themed book was in the box earlier; this one's a different title, though, so I hope it's of interest to someone.]

Journal Entry 3 by quietorchid at Saint Paul, Minnesota USA on Thursday, May 16, 2013
Taking from 6of8's MaryZee's Biography of things Bookbox. It looks interesting!

Journal Entry 4 by quietorchid at Saint Paul, Minnesota USA on Sunday, June 23, 2013
This was interesting. I think the title should be Consider the Eel: AN ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, and gastronomic History not a natural and gastronomic history. For that is where much of the book's focus lies. Being unable to explain this mysterious creature, the author takes us through the various ways it has been economically exploited.

The politics tend to come from the very hard work that making a living from eeling entails, while the eel market is quite lucrative. I was unsurprised, after consideration, to discover that the Basque seperatists, and the IRA in the 1970s were fishing for eels, while other forces were taking the obscene profits. So, an interesting look at inequalities of the market place. For an actual natural history (with a few recipes) see Eels by James Prosek

Link will take you to http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/10454736/

Journal Entry 5 by quietorchid at Saint Paul, Minnesota USA on Monday, July 22, 2013

Released 10 yrs ago (7/22/2013 UTC) at Saint Paul, Minnesota USA

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Placed in 6of8's MaryZee's Biography of Things Bookbox. Travel far ....


Journal Entry 6 by winginnaewing at Aurora, Colorado USA on Saturday, July 27, 2013
Made its way to Colorado in MZ's memorial bookbox --

I like that this book is making a second journey in the Bookish Bookbox :-) -- not for me, but I hope someone finds it interesting!

Journal Entry 7 by winghyphen8wing at Honolulu, Hawaii USA on Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Taken from MaryZee's Biographies of Things box with thanks.

Not that crazy about eels, actually, but I appreciate the cover art, and it sounds like an interesting read.

Journal Entry 8 by winghyphen8wing at Honolulu, Hawaii USA on Tuesday, January 12, 2016
I find myself a bit annoyed at this author: at the beginning of the book he almost makes it seem like there aren't any edible eels worth discussing except those that breed in the Sargasso Sea and then migrate to the lakes & rivers of Europe and North America (presumably only the eastern portion of North America at that), and yet cultures in other parts of the world have a history of eating anguillid eels as well.

In fact, the only eel I've eaten comes out of that tradition, regardless of where the particular eel consumed was from. Unagi is not a favorite of mine, possibly because I generally prefer my proteins savory rather than sweet, but I found nothing objectionable about it either. What I've read of this book so far has made me wonder what eel would taste like prepared in other ways..but it also made me think I'm unlikely to find it on a menu anywhere I'm likely to be soon.

It remains to be seen whether or not I'll finish this one. I haven't hit my 50-page cutoff yet but when I do, I'll have finished over 1/3 of the text, so maybe it will be worth continuing just to say I did it...

Journal Entry 9 by winghyphen8wing at Honolulu, Hawaii USA on Sunday, January 24, 2016
Interesting, but it was taking me approximately forever, possibly because it's more than I actually wanted to know: I quit shortly before page 100. I'm not sorry I read what I did, but I need to finish more books for the Biographies of Things box, so that was enough about eels for me.

The bit about the eels "harvesting" herring roe was fascinating, though.

Journal Entry 10 by winghyphen8wing at Honolulu, Hawaii USA on Monday, February 1, 2016

Released 8 yrs ago (2/1/2016 UTC) at Honolulu, Hawaii USA

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Headed out in the latest incarnation of MaryZee's Biographies of Things box.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~


I'm so glad you've found this book!

Won't you please make a journal entry to let the book's previous readers know that it's safely in your hands? How did you find it? What did you think of it? What are you going to do with it next?

It's now your book, for you to do with as you please: keep it, pass it to a friend, or maybe even leave it where someone else can find it!

If you've ever wondered where your books go after they leave your hands, join BookCrossing and you may find out: you'll be able to follow the further adventures of your books as new readers make journal entries - sometimes from surprisingly far-flung locations.

(Think of it like Where's George for books...or a little like geocaching - you can follow the book's journey every time someone makes a new entry. Some BookCrossers even leave books *in* geocaches!)

BookCrossing: making the whole world a library!

Journal Entry 11 by freezone at Book Box, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases on Friday, June 10, 2016

Released 7 yrs ago (6/10/2016 UTC) at Book Box, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases

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This is a famous and groundbreaking "history of things" book, that I have seen quoted in other books. Just too many goodies in this box and I have to let this one go....into the history of things bookbox.

Journal Entry 12 by wingeponine38wing at Winchester, Massachusetts USA on Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Taking from the Biographies of Things bookbox. Thanks!

Update 6/1/21: I am currently on page 136 of 159 and am offering this in booklady331's NonfictionVBB.


Journal Entry 13 by wingeponine38wing at Winchester, Massachusetts USA on Thursday, August 12, 2021
One of the reasons I wanted to read this was to overcome my disgust for any creature long and thin and slithery and worm-like. At several points I almost felt sick. The scene from the movie The Tin Drum as mentioned by Gory is only part of the reason for this feeling. I simply have a terrible fear of all sizes of snakes and this translates to discomfort with anything of that shape, from earthworms on up.

I may have once eaten eel in Portugal (my impression based on the somewhat suspicious shape) billed on the menu as simply “fish” and will admit it was delicious, whatever it was. Thus, the larger eels may not be so bad, but the thought of eating elvers made the bile rise into my throat every time it was mentioned in the book! I’m not generally a picky eater, either.

Lots of information in this slim book; I had no idea of the eel life cycle, especially the Sargasso Sea part, and the examples of different places they are farmed/fished was interesting. One can’t help but admire the folks who choose to make a living that way. It can be lucrative, but also hard work.

Not sorry I read it, but also not sure it helped with the desired “desensitization”!

Journal Entry 14 by wingeponine38wing at Winchester, Massachusetts USA on Thursday, August 12, 2021

Released 2 yrs ago (8/12/2021 UTC) at Winchester, Massachusetts USA

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On its way to labmomnm via booklady331's Nonfiction VBB. Hope you enjoy it!

Journal Entry 15 by winglabmomnmwing at Albuquerque, New Mexico USA on Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Arrived safely - thank-you - And with a recipe (non-eely) bookmark. I'm most interested in the biology part, not expecting a section on screaming eels, hoping for a discussion of how Starry-Gazey Pie got started. Not that I've ever eaten it; I must have read about it in some British novel when I was a child & have been somewhat fascinated by the idea of it ever since.

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