Common name: Loach, Amur mud loach, Amur weatherfish, Chinese muddy loach, Japanese loach, Oriental weatherfish, Pond Loach

Japanese name: Dojou (泥鰌、鯲)

Chinese common name: 泥鳅、鱼鳅

Scientific name: Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cantor,1842)

Nigiri sushi detail: Loach (Dojou) Nigiri sushi

Feature: 

Loach (Dojou) is widely distributed throughout Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, North Vietnam, Taiwan, Hainan Island, and Myanmar. It inhabits muddy bottoms of rivers, ponds, and irrigation water with loose currents. The body length is 10~15 cm. There are three pairs of beards on the upper jaw and two pairs on the lower jaw. The body surface is covered with mucus. The season is early summer. Kanto is the home of loach, and nearly half of Japan’s loach is caught in the Tone River.

Its taste and nutritional value have earned it worldwide acclaim. The Swiss naturalist Gessner recommended it as the most nutritious fish and wrote in the encyclopedia that it is a favorite of the sick because of its good taste and easy digestion.

Dojou is covered in mucus and prone to bacterial growth, so it should always be cut alive before cooking. It is rare to find a place that serves nigiri sushi, so if you come across it, you should definitely try it. Dojou is usually served in hot pot or miso soup.