精しょう進じんうなぎ

also: しょうじんウナギ

Meanings

tofu-based mock eel dish

A vegetarian dish made primarily from tofu, shaped and seasoned to resemble grilled eel (unagi). Associated with shōjin ryōri (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine).

Kanji

精refined, ghost, fairy
進advance, proceed, progress
鰻eel

Related words

精しょう進じん料りょう理り
精進料理 is the broader category of Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, while 精進うなぎ is a specific dish within it.
うなぎ
うなぎ is real grilled eel, whereas 精進うなぎ is a vegetarian imitation made from tofu.

Written forms

精しょう進じんうなぎ
Common mixed kanji-kana spelling; 精進 indicates Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, and うなぎ is written in kana.
精しょう進じん鰻うなぎ
Full kanji spelling; less common but still seen in some contexts.
精しょう進じんウナギ
Katakana spelling for うなぎ; sometimes used for emphasis or in menus.
しょうじんウナギ

Etymology

Compound of 精進 (shōjin, 'Buddhist vegetarian practice') and うなぎ (unagi, 'eel'). The dish is a vegetarian substitute for eel, created within the tradition of shōjin ryōri.