Ayu Cuisine, the Early-Summer Delicacy of the Clear Nagara River

Ayu cuisine is a river-fish dish that represents the blessings of the clear Nagara River flowing through Gifu City. Salt-grilling is the classic preparation, in which the fish is skewered, grilled to a fragrant finish, and eaten whole from head to tail. Raised on quality moss, ayu has a refined aroma often compared to watermelon or cucumber and an innards portion that is pleasantly bitter yet savory, and it is loved as a flavor that colors early summer in Gifu.

Highlights

The Nagara River has long been famous for ayu, and on summer nights the traditional fishing method of cormorant fishing is performed. The dreamlike sight of the cormorant masters and their birds dancing across a river surface lit by bonfires has elevated ayu into something special for Gifu. Besides salt-grilling, varied dishes that use every part of the fish, such as sweet simmering, rice porridge, and dengaku, have been handed down.

Enjoying the Seasons

Ayu is in season from early summer into autumn, and you can enjoy its different faces by season, from the delicate flavor of young ayu to the roe-bearing ayu of autumn. On summer nights when cormorant fishing is held, watching the fishing from a roofed pleasure boat while savoring ayu cuisine is a special experience. Salt-grilled ayu enjoyed by the clear river is truly a seasonal scene of summer in Gifu.

Access and Basic Information

Ayu cuisine can be enjoyed at restaurants and inns along the Nagara River from JR Gifu Station. Many inns around Nagaragawa Onsen let you enjoy ayu together with watching cormorant fishing, so booking early for summer is recommended. Salt-grilled and sweet-simmered ayu are also sold at souvenir shops, so you can enjoy the taste of the Nagara River at home.

A Quick Tip

The connoisseurs way to eat salt-grilled ayu is to savor it whole from the head, bitterness of the innards included. Visiting during the cormorant fishing season lets you fully enjoy both the cuisine and the traditional culture.