Once a staple of the American diet, the eel has, with the exception of upscale fusion restaurants & sushi houses, disappeared from our menus. Here, Richard Schweid reveals the eel's amazing natural history & opens our eyes to the global importance & demand for this curious fish. He takes us from the coastal backwoods of America to England, Spain, China, Japan, & Italy -- where the eel is a delicacy that can be found grilled, smoked, stewed, jellied, skewered, fried, baked, saut}ed, & even cooked into an omelet. In graceful prose, Schweid raises the eel from riverbed & pond bottom & serves up a delectable look at one of our oldest & least understood gifts from the sea.