garnished with ginger
a plate of sweetfish and rice
flavoured with sunshine
Kim M. Russell, 18th June 2018
My response to Carpe Diem #1456 sweetfish (ayu)
Today’s classical kigo for summer is sweetfish (ayu). I think it’s an unusual kigo and was grateful for the explanation: the ayu, or sweetfish, is a species of fish native to East Asia, the only species in the genus Plecoglossus and family Plecoglossidae, and is related to smelts. The name ‘sweetfish’ was inspired by the sweetness of its flesh. In reference to its typical one-year lifespan, it is also written called ‘year-fish’. For examples, we have two haiku by Basho which include the sweetfish.
writing in north norfolk 