Israeli Startup And Japanese Restaurant Partner To Sell Cultivated Eel

Israeli foodtech startup, Forsea Foods, has started a collaboration with vegan restaurant SAIDO in Tokyo to create two popular traditional Japanese eel dishes. 

Forsea Foods has developed a unique technology to produce cultured eel meat just as it would grow in nature, without having to capture the fish and further endangering it.

The dishes include unagi kabayaki, a marinated grilled eel over rice, and unagi nigiri, a type of eel sushi. 

The collaboration will take place with the executive chef Katsumi Kusumoto who runs SAIDO, which has been voted as the world’s best vegan restaurant in 2019. 

Forsea uses specific growth mediums (liquids used to support the growth of the stem cells), as well as certain other proprietary measures to help the cells proliferate in bioreactor tanks.

According to the startup, the cultivated meat has the same taste and feel as real eel meat and it is now prepped for scale-up with an expected commercial launch in 2025 across Asia. 

“This milestone marks a major leap in our journey to deliver delicious cultured seafood products,” said CEO and co-founder of Forsea Roee Nir.

“It’s been a thrilling journey to join forces with emerging innovators, and working together to deliver the traditional unagi indulgence with a clear eco-conscience,” said Kusumoto.