“Shirauo” literally means “white fish” in Japanese or known as icefish, is a fish that’s a symbol of Tokyo, especially back in the Edo time.
From winter to spring, many shirauo swim upstream in rivers to spawn.
In Tokyo, Fishing boats on the Sumida River would light bonfires, attracting shirauo, which would then be caught using four-hand nets.
This created quite an iconic scene of spring in Edo, even brought to life in ukiyo-e prints by Hiroshige.
Once caught, the shirauo was taken straight to Edo Castle.
Up until around 1950, shirauo was seen in the Edo Bay area, but unfortunately, they’re not around there anymore.
These days, you can only find them in places like the northern part of Kasumigaura, Lake Hamana, and Lake Shinji.
January lessons at our cooking school focus on dishes that remind us of early spring, and one of them is called “shirauo-wan,” or icefish soup bowl. It’s a classy soup dish perfect for entertaining guests, capturing the spirit of spring.
An important reminder: Please do handle shirauo with care, as it can fall apart easily.
