In 11 years of research he has collected anguilline myths, lore and recipes from all over the world, with particular emphasis on eel-worshipping in New Zealand and Polynesia.

ECONOMIST: Slithery creatures, strangely determined

The food, too, is a souped-up version of traditional mountain cuisine, complete with rural treats such as eel or frog.

ECONOMIST: As communism crumbles, a great cuisine revives

As they get older they branch out, and foodies are on the lookout for the places that add a twist to old flavours, like making a particularly crispy oyster omelette (an egg omelette with tender fresh oysters) or using eel balls instead of fish balls in their wonton mee (noodle and wonton soup).

BBC: Finding a favourite hawker stall in Penang

My father pronounced it raw-eel, like a thing you eat with your eyes closed.

NEWYORKER: Midnight in Dostoevsky

As its name would suggest, the restaurant serves cuts of prime beef, but goes beyond the typical steak with regional fare such as tender ostrich fillet, marinated venison and South African kingklip (cusk eel imported from the coast).

BBC: Business trip: Johannesburg