Ayu — First Arrival, for Cooking Only
Something new this week: Ayu (鮎, Japanese Sweetfish) from Japan has arrived at the counter for the first time. This is not a fish we are carrying for sashimi — the texture and flavor of Ayu are best expressed through heat, specifically grilling with salt (shioyaki). We are carrying it for customers who want to cook it at home.
Ayu is one of the most distinctly seasonal fish in Japanese cuisine. It is a small, slender river fish that migrates from the sea to freshwater rivers in spring and is harvested through summer and early autumn before returning downstream. The flavor has a specific quality that Japanese describe as seika (清香) — a clean, watermelon-like fragrance in the flesh that is unlike any other fish. When grilled whole with just salt, the skin crisps and chars at the edges while the interior remains moist and aromatic.
The classic preparation is shioyaki: rub the fish generously with salt inside and out, skewer it in a wave shape to mimic a swimming posture, and grill over charcoal at medium-high heat for eight to ten minutes per side. Eat the whole fish — bones, head, tail and all, if the fish is small enough. Serve with thinly sliced ginger and a splash of vinegar on the side.
Ayu is available at the counter this week. Ask about current availability and pricing when you come in.
This Week's Fish
Bafun Uni in two sizes is available — reserve online. Hotaruika (Firefly Squid) is available boiled and frozen, ready to eat. Kanpachi (Greater Amberjack) is back in the lineup. Nagasaki Bluefin Tuna in all cuts as always.
Six Cloves and Shiba Wichern Wines — Now at Rice Market
The wines are here. Bottles from Six Cloves Wines and Shiba Wichern Cellars are now available for purchase at Rice Market. You can take a bottle home alongside your fish and explore the pairings on your own table, without waiting for the next event.
For guidance on what pairs with what: Six Cloves Zinfandel with Otoro or Chutoro — the bold, spiced fruit against the fish fat works better than it should. Shiba Wichern Pinot Noir with Akami — the precision and minerality of the wine mirrors the clean, iron-forward flavor of lean Bluefin. Ask at the Rice Market counter for the current bottle selection.
On cooking Ayu at home: If you have a charcoal grill, use it — charcoal gives a different result from gas or oven. The smoke and the high direct heat are what produce the characteristic char on the fins and tail that signals a properly cooked Ayu. If charcoal isn't an option, a very hot cast iron pan with a minimal amount of oil, skin-side down first, gets reasonably close.