Seafood start-up Forsea Foods has unveiled its first cultured eel replicating the traditional Japanese unagi eel with a similar tender, texture and flavour as real eel.
Foresea collaborated with chef Katsumi Kusumoto to apply technology for cell-cultivating eel cuts, while Kusumoto makes use of his culinary skills to produce the texture and flavour of two specific dishes – unagi kabayaki and unagi nigiri.
Roee Nir, CEO and co-founder of Forsea, believes that the launch marks a major leap in the journey to deliver delicious cultured seafood products.
“Forsea is pioneering the fusion of traditional, high-quality Asian cuisine with groundbreaking technology to create the world’s first cultured unagi – one that will provide the consumer with a genuine seafood experience without putting further strain on aquatic life.”
Besides saving the wild eel populations from near extinction, Forsea’s cell-cultivated eel provides a healthful substitute free of hormones, antibiotics, and marine contaminants.
Overfishing, supply bottlenecks, or illegal trade are happening because of the increasing demand for eel meat across Asia, Europe, and the US. Founded in 2021, Forsea aims to develop cell-cultivated alternatives to protect the ocean’s seafood populations.
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