🍱 Dojō-jiru

"Dojō-jiru(=loach soup)" is one of the dishes invariably made during the summer. It has been consumed to endure the harsh heat during the challenging summer months. Tochigi Prefecture, with its inland climate and significant temperature differences between seasons, experiences intense heat in the summer and continues with cold days in the winter. River fish, including "Dojō (=loach)," serve as a valuable source of protein in the inland areas away from the sea. Before irrigation ditchs were lined with concrete, "Dojō" were commonly found in the local rivers around the Utsunomiya region. In households where farmers cultivated rice paddies, it was a tradition to cover the water inlets of the paddies during the summer, catching "Dojō" and making "Dojō-jiru." For small children, parents would peel the meat off and feed them. Pinch the bottom of the head of the loach with your left hand and scrape off the meat from the bottom of the head to the tail with the chopstick of your right hand, so that the meat peels off cleanly and is easy to eat.