After deboning the eel, the head and spine are simmered to produce a stock, which is seasoned with soy sauce and used for cooking rice. The fillets of conger are broiled, using a thick, sweetened soy-based basting sauce. This recipe originated among fishermen on the Seto Inland Sea. The popularity of anago meshi spread after it began to be sold in boxed lunches at stations along the Sanyo railway line.
