The mountain village is covered with snow again this winter from the heavy snowfall. Making preserved food by pickling wild vegetables harvested in autumn is something that is done annually. They range from ready-to-eat items to preserved items that will be stored for the next three years. We are looking forward to these preserved food items.
In the western part of Shimane prefecture, ayu (sweetfish) that is traveling downstream in autumn is caught and grilled directly over the fireplace before it is dried and stored. The dashi stock that is made from this dried ayu is used to make ozoni for the New Year holidays and the broth for somen noodles in the summer. Today, we will be making a hotpot dish known as "Ayuheka" using this ayu. After extracting the goodness of the ayu into the dashi stock, plenty of seasonal vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, green onions, mushrooms, burdock, and taro are added to the pot. The delicate flavor of the ayu will permeate the vegetables and elevate their flavors.

Dried ayu is soaked in water overnight to make the dashi stock. This dashi stock is poured into a shallow iron pot known as "heka," and generous servings of seasonal vegetables are added once the stock comes to a boil. A simple hotpot dish made using ayu dashi stock.