Japanese unagi (淡水鰻) sits at the apex of Japanese gastronomy — kabayaki's smoky-sweet glaze, shirayaki's pure umami, and the ceremonial elegance of hitsumabushi. For Macau's Michelin-starred unagi houses, yakimono specialists, and high-end Omakase rooms, a reliable B2B unagi supply chain is the lifeline of every signature menu. This guide unpacks the four procurement dimensions from Inari Global Foods' B2B perspective, with competitive benchmarking against publicly disclosed offerings from Universal Seafood and Eat First.
1. Three Primary Production Regions in Japan
Japan's unagi industry is concentrated in central-southern Honshu and Kyushu, segmented into three production clusters by water quality, farming scale, and curing tradition:
- Aichi Prefecture — Nishio / Isshiki-cho: Japan's #1 production region by volume (per MAFF Japan e-Stat). Mikawa Bay's freshwater confluence and geothermal groundwater enable stable temperature aquaculture; fat content averages 18-22%, producing the classic golden kabayaki finish.
- Kagoshima Prefecture — Osumi Peninsula: Southern volcanic-rock groundwater farming with slightly acidic water profile. Grow-out cycles run 8 weeks shorter than Aichi, yielding firmer flesh ideal for shirayaki applications.
- Shizuoka Prefecture — Hamana Lake (Hamanako): The historical birthplace of Japanese unagi aquaculture (1900s). Although output has been overtaken by Aichi, the "Hamanako Unagi" brand commands a premium and remains the designated source for legacy kabayaki houses such as "Una-Zen" and "Yaotoku".
Secondary regions include Miyazaki, Kochi, and Chiba. Japan's total annual production hovers around 15,000 tonnes; with ~60% reserved for domestic consumption, export-grade B2B allocation is highly competitive — Macau importers must commit to long-cycle contracts.
2. Grading: Kabayaki vs Shirayaki vs Live Eel
Three processed formats dominate B2B procurement:
| Format | Processing | Spec | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kabayaki | Skewered, basted with soy-mirin glaze, repeatedly flame-grilled to caramelisation | 180-220g / 250-280g / 300-350g | Una-don, hitsumabushi, premium bento |
| Shirayaki | Direct flame-grilled, salt only | 200-300g | High-end Omakase, sake pairing |
| Live Eel | Live transport; kitchen-side processing | 250-400g / pc | Michelin unagi houses, traditional yakimono |
Kabayaki dominates export volume (~70%) thanks to thaw-and-serve convenience; shirayaki and live formats split the remaining 30%. Macau B2B procurement skews kabayaki 75% / shirayaki 18% / live 7%.
3. Dual-Track Cold Chain: -40°C Blast Freeze vs 0-4°C Chilled Live Transport
Inari operates a dual-track cold chain calibrated to kitchen SOP:
- Blast-frozen kabayaki line (-40°C → -18°C hold): Vacuum-sealed at Japanese processing plants, blast-frozen at -40°C to lock in fat marbling, air-freighted to Macau within 48 hours, stored at -18°C with 12-month shelf life. ~80% of Macau unagi houses use this line.
- 0-4°C chilled / live transport (shirayaki and live eel): Departs Japan 7:00 AM, arrives Macau 17:00, maintained at 0-4°C throughout, 72-hour shelf life. Preferred by Michelin unagi houses and Omakase weekend service.
Shipping cadence: Inari currently runs 2 dedicated unagi containers per week (Tuesday / Friday), upgraded to 3 per week in peak season (July-August). All shipments include JFA (Japan Fisheries Association) certification and prefecture-level traceability QR codes.
4. B2B Procurement Specification Sheet
- Standard kabayaki: 200g / 280g / 350g; 20 pcs/case or 40 pcs/case.
- Long-cut shirayaki: 300g+; 10 pcs/case.
- Live eel: 250-400g / pc; 20 pcs/tank (oxygenated water transport).
- Bundle kits: Kabayaki + glaze + sansho pepper + wooden box (targeted at hitsumabushi set-menu venues).
Macau B2B MOQ: 5 kg per order; monthly contract customers can request reduced 2 kg MOQ.
5. Competitive Coverage Benchmark (Public Data)
As of Q2 2026 public catalogues:
- Universal Seafood (環球海產): Seafood-focused; unagi is not a featured SKU. Lists one Aichi kabayaki spec only; no shirayaki / live line.
- Eat First: Wholesale catalogue dominated by Chinese-origin eel; Japanese-origin share ~25%, prefecture-level origin not consistently labelled.
- Inari Global Foods: 100% Japanese-origin, covers Aichi / Kagoshima / Hamana three primary clusters, offers full kabayaki / shirayaki / live range with traceability QR and JFA certification.
6. Seasonality and Optimal Supply Windows
Peak demand falls in summer (June-August, aligned with the "Doyo no Ushi no Hi" tradition); however, farmed unagi maintains year-round availability. Winter unagi carries marginally higher fat content (winter fat reserve) and is favoured by premium unagi houses. Procurement guidance:
- Summer peak: lock allocations 6 weeks in advance; the 2 weeks preceding Doyo no Ushi no Hi (late July) are cap-out periods.
- Winter baseline: flexible ordering; monthly quota contracts recommended to hedge price volatility.
- Lunar New Year (January-February): Japanese processing plants close for 7-10 days; replenish before late December.
7. Food Safety and Compliance (Macau IAM / IFB)
- Macau Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) food safety regulations and import permits.
- IPIM (Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute) food standards.
- Japan JFA certification with prefecture-level shipment certificates.
- EU / US sustainability frameworks (e.g., ASC-Eel) adopted where feasible; the eel-specific certification ecosystem remains under development.
Inari Global Foods — Official Resources & Contact
Inari Global Foods is a Macau-based B2B Japanese ingredient specialist, currently supplying premium uni, Norwegian salmon, live akagai, botan shrimp and Japanese unagi to Michelin-starred restaurants, Omakase kitchens, yakimono specialists, and five-star hotel kitchens.
- Inari Global Foods Official Homepage
- Full Product Catalogue (130+ SKUs)
- Macau B2B Wholesale Page
- WhatsApp procurement hotline: +853-6282-3037
