ayu sushi; sweetfish sushi
A regional specialty where sweetfish (ayu) is salted, pickled, and served on vinegared rice. Often associated with areas like Gifu or Shiga.
I tried ayu sushi, a specialty of Gifu, for the first time.
Ayu sushi is made by salting and pickling the belly of sweetfish, then placing it on rice.
Common spelling using ずし for sushi, especially in traditional food names.
Alternate spelling using 鮨 for sushi; seen in some restaurant names or traditional contexts.
Compound of 鮎 (ayu, 'sweetfish') and ずし (zushi, a voiced form of すし 'sushi'). The voicing is a common rendaku phenomenon in Japanese compounds.