Seafood ── Fish
Ayu
sweetfish — a river fish with the scent of watermelon
A river fish that grazes algae off clean streambed stones, giving it a distinct watermelon-like scent. Salt-grilled and famously caught by tomo-zuri decoy fishing — the clearer the river, the more that scent is said to stand out.
- Freshwater fish
What it's made of
A river fish that grazes algae off clean streambed stones, its innards carrying a faint bitterness alongside a distinct watermelon-like scent. Salt-grilled whole, head to tail, the crisp skin and mild sweet flesh meet that bitter edge from the guts to sharpen the whole flavor. It peaks from early to midsummer, young fish soft-boned enough to eat whole, the scent growing stronger as summer deepens.
How it's made
Tomo-zuri, or 'decoy fishing', exploits the fish's habit of ramming rivals that enter its territory — a lure fish is set swimming to provoke a territorial charge, and a hooked line catches it in the act. The clearer the river, the better the algae, and the more that scent is said to stand out in fish raised there. Salt-grilling often dresses the fins in extra salt so they don't scorch over the fire.
Why it took this shape
The Nagara River running through Gifu's Gujo is renowned for its clarity, sustaining both cormorant fishing and tomo-zuri decoy fishing for generations. On Kochi's Shimanto River, distinct traditions survive too, like torch fishing that startles fish into a net at night — clarity itself underwriting both the method and the flavor. This is a fish so sensitive to its river that even a shift in water clarity is said to change its scent.
Before You Go
- How to shop at a supermarketHow to choose prepared foods, sashimi, and packaged sushi, when discount stickers tend to appear, region-only specialties, buying by weight, the checkout and bagging flow, and sampling etiquette at a local supermarket.
- Roadside stations, direct-sale stands, and marketsHow to enjoy buying food near where it's produced, visiting and shopping at morning markets and fish markets, what to expect at farm stands, and finding local food at roadside stations (michi-no-eki).
- Foods to look for in springA guide to foods often seen in Japan around spring — early bonito, bamboo shoots, sakura mochi, hanami bento, new-season tea, and butterbur sprouts — with rough pointers for finding them.
Dishes in the same style
- DojoA slender fish of paddy mud and streams, simmered whole in yanagawa-nabe hot pot or skewered plain and glazed sweet-savory. Hardy enough to survive poor water quality, it has long been an everyday fish even from canals near cities.
- FunaA river fish including the Lake Biwa-endemic nigorobuna, fermented with rice into funazushi, often called the ancestor of all sushi. Its true flavor is said to come only from the lake the endemic species calls home, sustaining an ancient narezushi craft.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Known for it here
- Known for it here: Kochi, Shimanto
On the Shimanto River, often called Japan's 'last clear stream', traditional methods like torch fishing still bring in ayu.
- Known for it here: Gifu, Gujo
The Nagara River is renowned for its clarity, sustaining both cormorant fishing and tomo-zuri decoy fishing for ayu.
Uses
- NarezushiFish salted and packed with rice for a long lactic fermentation — thought to be the oldest form sushi took. Some eat the rice too, others discard it and eat only the fish, sharply sour and pungent either way.
- Yaki Ayu no KanroniAyu heading downstream to spawn are skewered and charcoal-grilled, then slow-simmered in a sweet soy glaze into a preserved dish. Raised in the swift, clear Kuma River, the fish are said to soften enough to eat bones and all, even cold.