• Farmed Anguilla rostrata — American eel, catalog default species
• Kabayaki preparation — split, deboned, skewered, broiled with tare (soy / sugar / mirin)
• Prepared / cooked product — ready to heat and serve (not raw)
• Tare glaze: soy sauce, sugar, sweet rice wine; eel content ~75–90 %
• Frozen IQF or individual vacuum pack (IVP); 10 kg master carton typical
• Stored at -18 °C; shelf life ~12–18 months frozen
• Skin-on boneless fillet; size-graded by piece weight

• Unadon / unaju — eel over rice (Japanese classic)
• Sushi — unagi nigiri
• East-Asian foodservice — Japan, China, Korea
• Ready-meal / convenience retail — heat-and-serve packs

• ASC / BAP / GLOBALG.A.P. — applicable (farmed eel; responsible farms available on request)
• MSC — NOT applicable (eel is farmed, not a wild-capture fishery for this product)
• HACCP / BRC / IFS / ISO 22000 — food-safety management systems
• HALAL / KOSHER — available on request (verify tare ingredients)
• CITES note: American eel (Anguilla rostrata) is listed on CITES Appendix III, effective 7 January 2026 (Dominican Republic listing) — international trade requires CITES documentation (certificate of origin / export permit). It is not CITES Appendix II: the EU/Panama proposal to list all Anguillid eels on Appendix II was defeated at CITES CoP20 (November 2025). The European eel Anguilla anguilla remains CITES Appendix II (trade-restricted) — do not substitute. IUCN Red List: American eel Endangered. Eel aquaculture relies on legally sourced, traceable glass-eel / elver stock — documented, responsible sourcing is part of any sustainability claim.

• Keep frozen at -18 °C or below. Typical shelf life 12–18 months under an unbroken cold chain. To serve: thaw under refrigeration, then heat (pan, oven or microwave) until hot through; the fillet is already cooked — it only needs reheating. Do not refreeze after thawing.

Q1. What species is "American eel / kabayaki eel"?
A. Anguilla rostrata — the American eel, native to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America. It is not the European eel Anguilla anguilla, which is CITES Appendix II (trade-restricted). The American eel is itself CITES Appendix III (effective 7 January 2026) — international trade needs CITES documentation. Specifying the Latin name prevents substitution with restricted or off-species eel.

Q2. Is this raw or prepared?
A. Prepared / cooked. Kabayaki is split, deboned, skewered and broiled with a soy-based tare — a fully cooked, ready-to-heat product. It is therefore in Chapter 16 (HS 1604.17), not Chapter 3 (raw frozen eel). This distinction matters for both tariff and food-safety handling.

Q3. Farmed or wild, and which certification applies?
A. Farmed. The relevant labels are ASC, BAP and GLOBALG.A.P. (responsible aquaculture). MSC does not apply — it covers wild-capture fisheries, and this product is farmed. Trade compliance note: American eel is CITES Appendix III (from 7 Jan 2026) — exports require CITES documentation; it is not Appendix II (that proposal was defeated at CoP20, Nov 2025). IUCN lists it Endangered; eel farming depends on legally sourced, traceable glass-eel / elver stock.

Q4. What HS code applies to kabayaki eel?
A. HS 1604.17 — "Prepared or preserved fish: eels, whole or in pieces but not minced." This covers grilled / roasted eel in tare. Do not use Chapter 3 codes (e.g. 0303.81 for frozen raw eel) — kabayaki is cooked. If the eel is minced or made into fish cakes, the code shifts to 1604.20.

Q5. IVP or bulk, and how to serve?
A. IVP (individual vacuum pack) is the foodservice / retail standard for portion control and presentation; bulk loose pack suits further processing. The fillet is already cooked — thaw, then heat (pan / oven / microwave) until hot through. Do not refreeze after thawing.