Today JCI held a class on ayu (sweetfish), a seasonal fish, in Shizuoka Prefecture, where JCI is located, most rivers open their ayu fishing season in June.
Japanese people love ayu (sweetfish), the fish that heralds the arrival of summer, by giving it various names. Ayu is called the queen of clear water. Ayu is also called as a "fragrant fish" because of the scent of watermelon wafting from its meat.
There is an anecdote that the famous gourmand Kitaoji Rosanjin (b. March 1883 - d. December 1959) loved the delicate taste of ayu so much that he had ayu caught in the upper reaches of the Yura River brought to him alive by train. Rosanjin said that the best way to enjoy ayu is to grill it with salt, without removing the guts, and then bite into it after squeezing vinegar over the hot, scalding flesh.
In today's class, we had the luxury of grilling two ayu (sweetfish) with salt, and the students were very satisfied with the lesson. At JCI, our highly talented chefs carefully teach you how to prepare seasonal dishes. We look forward to having you come and learn summer cooking at JCI.
