This street stall along the picturesque Miyagawa River was cooking up mouth-watering kushiyaki (skewers) of Hida beef - a local speciality of the region. Hida beef are raised in the meadows of the Hida plateau for about two years, and are known for their fatty tissue and rich flavor.

The skewers were grilled on the coals and dipped periodically into a tub of sweet Japanese style BBQ sauce. The flavour of the meat was intensely good, battling even the flavour of the baste.

Read about why we were in Takayama (Japan) here.