A stunning amount of illegal eel can be found in US sushi. Organized crime likely to blame

Are those illegal eels in your unagi? A study has found 44% of North American eel samples – that’s unagi when used in sushi – were actually from the critically endangered European eel, whose export has been illegal since 2010. 

Eel has long been a beloved component of Japanese cuisine. Marinated and grilled, it is served in a donburi dish with rice or as an ingredient in sushi, where it’s generally listed as “unagi,” Japanese for eel.