eels some garlic, mace, saffron, crushed apples and verjuice (which is vinegar-like, sharp juice from crab apples). Originally the marshes surrounding Ely were full of eels, and it’s thought this island in the Fens owes its name to this curious fish. Eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea in the western Atlantic and their offspring float like curled leaves on the warm Gulf Stream back to Europe, drifting along for up to three years. They then grow into transparent glass eels, or elvers, like a mass of wriggling spaghetti, and begin to swim up freshwater streams to mature into adults. The fully grown silver eel (aged between ten and 35 years) then makes its return journey to spawn. The Environment Agency’s Dr Ros Wright, who specialises in eels, says: “Long black ribbons of glass eels used to come up along the rivers,” but eel numbers have declined globally by 95% caused by “a perfect storm of man-made impacts”. For 15 years, EU regulations have now controlled fishing to restore numbers. As Dr Ros says: “Eels are a very important part of the ecosystem for biodiversity, not just to be put on to people’s plates.” So we must value, respect and conserve eels. Eel history is fascinating, according to Craig Cessford, senior project officer at Cambridge Archaeological Unit. “Eel is often the most common species of fish bone we find in Ely from the eighth century onwards. But we actually have better evidence for eels from Cambridge. There was a bowl found beside a seventh-century burial with eel bones in it. We also have a grig (funnel-shaped willow trap) found in a 14th-century pit.” The last full-time eel catcher, Peter Carter from Norfolk, retired recently and used
traditionally made woven traps to catch eels, taking over from lifelong eel catcher, Sid Merry, who died seven years ago. But David and Richard Bunning of the Mid Norfolk Smokehouse still have fresh, hot, smoked and jellied eels. According to David, there is still “a good steady eel population in the Norfolk Broads”. To find out more about the fascination with eels, listen to The Hungry Roundhead – aka local guide and food historian Nora Gardner – at the Cookery Theatre. Nora says: “The 17th-century flavours and dishes come to life as I talk about the origins of traditional recipes.” So, why not visit the festival to learn more about and sample this unique and locally famous fish? l “Eels are a very important part of the ecosystem for biodiversity”
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