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Thursday, December 22, 2005 

If It's Holiday Time, It Must Be Eel Season!

By Frank J Prial, NY Times

Riiiight....it MUST be Eel season...

That's the first thing I think of when I consider this time of year.

Don't you?
Holiday time is eel time," said Mr. Sloup, who sells his catch to wholesalers, individual markets and restaurants in Chinatown.

"Eels are a traditional dish around now, especially among Italians. Then, at the end of January is the Chinese New Year. The Chinese love eels. So do the Koreans and the Vietnamese, and that market is exploding in New York."

David Pasternack, the chef and an owner of the seafood restaurant Esca, agreed.

"Eels are excellent right now, and they are popular," said Mr. Pasternack, who added that he likes to fry eels and serve them with a little tomato and chili. "In fact, with the Asian market growing all the time, it's getting harder and harder to find them."

The article goes on to tell of some the history of catching eels and using them for food in cultures around the world and locally in NY.