土用丑の日 Midsummer Day of the Ox (Day to eat Unagi!)

There is an old saying in Japan that when you eat Unagi on “Doyo no Ushi” Day in the summer, you won’t suffer from the summer heat as Unagi is known to have properties that strengthen the body! 

If you have experienced Summers in Japan, you'd know the heat is excruciating compared to Singapore.

There are actually “Doyo no Ushi” Days in spring, summer, autumn and winter.  But “Doyo no Ushi” Day in Japan would usually mean the “Doyo no Ushi” Day in summer. "Doyo" refers to the transition period into the next season, and "Doyo no Ushi" literally means "day of the ox of the seasonal change period," it falls, this year, on July 21 and is among the hottest days of the year. 

Japanese tradition on this day is to indulge in succulent unagi, or freshwater eel, as it is both scrumptious to the palate and it helps you recover from fatigue due to its abundance of nourishing vitamins and minerals.

The most common way to have Unagi is simply with rice and Miso soup. 

Or have it Zairyo-style, and pair it with Uni, Ikura on top of Sushi rice!