Introducing recommended recipes that will allow you to enjoy the charm and deliciousness of sweetfish

What is Ayu?: A fish known as the queen of river fish

Ayu (sweetfish, or "fragrant fish" or "year fish") is a fish that symbolizes summer in Japan. Ayu is praised as the "queen of river fish" due to its strong fragrance and beautiful appearance, and wild-caught ayu are especially highly valued. Wild-caught ayu have the sweet scent unique to river seaweed, and are characterized by their slender, yellowish bodies compared to farmed ayu

Ayu season and how to choose them

The season for sweetfish is from early summer to autumn, and young sweetfish and fallen sweetfish are especially delicious. The way to distinguish wild and farmed sweetfish is that wild ones are yellowish and slender, while farmed ones tend to be darker and a bit thicker

Origin of the name

The name "ayu" comes from the Japanese word "ahi," which means "a lovely, tasty fish," and has been corrupted to "ayu." It is also said that in China, the character "ayu" can refer to catfish, and that this usage was introduced to Japan and changed

Local and market names

Ayu are given various names throughout Japan. For example, they are called "ai" in Hagiwara-cho, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture, and Tokushima Prefecture, while in Lake Biwa, young fish are called "hio" (frozen fish) and adult fish are called "koayu." The names vary depending on the region

Ayu habitat and ecology

Ayu live in both freshwater and saltwater, and are found in the upper and middle reaches of rivers, clean lakes, dam lakes, etc. They have special comb-like teeth that allow them to eat small shrimp in the sea and algae when they return to the river

How to eat sweetfish

Here are some recommended recipes using sweetfish

Grilled whole sweetfish

• Ingredients (4 servings)
  • Ayu: 4 fish (approximately 80g each)
  • Ginger with leaves: 4 stalks
  • 3 tablespoons of vinegar
  • Sugar: 2 tablespoons
  • Water: 5 tablespoons
  • Salt: appropriate amount
• How to make it
  1. The sweetfish are then skewered to shape, and lightly salted on both sides, with more salt on the fins
  2. Cut the ginger with leaves to an appropriate length, quickly dip it in boiling water, and then soak it in a pickling liquid made from a mixture of vinegar, sugar, and water to make pickled ginger
  3. Heat the grill and grill the sweetfish until golden brown on both sides. Remove the skewers and serve with the pickled ginger

Ayu stewed in arima

• Ingredients (4 servings)
  • Ayu: 4
  • Dashi: 5 tablespoons
  • 2 teaspoons of Japanese pepper tsukudani
  • 100g broad beans (peeled)
  • Soy sauce, mirin, sake: 2 tablespoons each
• How to make it
  1. Put the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sake into a pressure cooker, then arrange the sweetfish in the pot. Sprinkle with the sansho berries tsukudani (simmered in soy sauce) and cover with a drop lid
  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 8 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it steam for about 10 minutes. Serve with the broth poured over the dish
  3. The broad beans are boiled, peeled, and served in a thin, sweet stew

These recipes allow you to fully enjoy the unique flavor and soft texture of sweetfish. Be sure to try it as a symbol of summer in Japan, or as a dish to brighten up your table on special occasions

We also introduce special recipes using sweetfish

Olive oil stewed

By making as thin cuts as possible into the Kariruya eggplant, the juices are soaked in a generous amount of flavor and it's delicious.

Olive oil stewed

By making as thin cuts as possible into the Kariruya eggplant, the juices are soaked in a generous amount of flavor and it's delicious.

Olive oil stewed

By making as thin cuts as possible into the Kariruya eggplant, the juices are soaked in a generous amount of flavor and it's delicious.