Japan is the home of some deliciously fresh cuisine. Around the world, the most famous Japanese food is – without a doubt – Sushi. But Japanese kitchens have far more to offer than just vegetables and raw fish in a rice-roll. Hokkaido is one of the places in Japan that’s known for its food.
When people think of food in Hokkaido, fresh seafood and dairy products come to mind. That is what the area is best known for, but there are many other dishes that are local to Hokkaido and are definitely worth trying. Here’s a food guide to help you decide what to try when in Hokkaido.
Hokkaido Seafood
Hokkaido is renowned for the high quality and freshness of its seafood, as the cold waters surrounding Japan’s northernmost island are ideal for fish and sea vegetation.
Kaisen-don/Donburi
One of the most popular seafood meals is a simple dish that can be enjoyed at a restaurant or one of the many fish markets. Kaisen-don consists of a bowl with various seafood topped over rice. The quality of the seafood is often what makes this dish. You can find a variety of different seafoods such as: ikura (salmon roe), ika (squid), uni (sea urchin), and hotate (scallops) and usually, this dish is eaten with soy sauce poured over top. If you are in Sapporo, we recommend checking out Nijo Fish Market and having this for breakfast.
Hokkaido Crab
Kani, or crab is another seafood item that Hokkaido is especially famous for. The best time to sample the delicious crab is during the winter, as that is when they are in season. There are three types of crabs that Hokkaido is known for: king crab, snow crab, and hairy crab. In Hokkaido, it is pretty easy to find and try all three types as there are restaurants all over that serve them, including all-you-can-eat crab restaurants.
There are many different ways to enjoy crab in Hokkaido: in hot pots, over rice, dipped in vinegar and soy sauce, or just plain! Eating the crab miso that is found towards the head of the crab is considered a delicacy, and some make soups with it as well. There is no better place to taste some crab than in Hokkaido!
Hokkaido Ramen
Ramen is a noodle soup dish that has origins in China and was brought to Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912). It is popular throughout the country, and is well-known as a specialty of Hokkaido. The soup base, noodles and toppings used in ramen vary across Japan, and even within Hokkaido there are different types across the regions.
While Sapporo is known for its miso ramen, shio (salt) based ramen is more common in Hakodate. If you are in Asahikawa, then you will find soya sauce ramen is more popular. There are plenty of ramen restaurants in Hokkaido that make trying Hokkaido ramen easy, and a must!
Hokkaido Dairy Products
Because of the expansive land area, it is possible for Hokkaido to have large dairy farms. The island is known for its dairy and produces the majority of Japan’s dairy products. Although you will find all sorts of dairy products across Hokkaido, the most popular are probably the cheese dishes and soft-serve ice cream.
There are a variety of different flavours of soft-serve that you will find around Hokkaido, but to truly appreciate Hokkaido dairy, we recommend you try the original vanilla soft-serve first. Butter cookies are also a local classic, such as the popular marusei, which features a creamy butter and raisin filling sandwiched between two butter cookies.
Hokkaido Soup Curry
Heavy, saucy, spicy, and addictive, soup curry is a traditional Hokkaido dish and the ultimate comfort food after a day of skiing. Most soup curries have a roasted chicken leg as the star of the bowl, and include a rainbow-coloured bounty of locally grown fruits and vegetables: think broccoli, asparagus, okra, green pepper, chilies, lotus, tomato, mushroom, pumpkin, eggplant, and potatoes. Done right, it’s a spectacle of colour that tastes as good as it looks.
Jingisukan
The name Jingisukan resembles the name of Mongolian king, Genghis Khan. The dish is rumoured to have this name because, in prewar Japan, lamb was widely thought to be the meat of choice among Mongolian soldiers. The dome-shaped skillet jingisukan is cooked in is meant to represent the soldiers’ helmets that they apparently used to cook their food.
Lamb and mutton are both options when eating jingisukan. Vegetables such as kabocha pumpkin, cabbage, onion, leek, bell pepper, carrots, bean sprouts, and asparagus are spread around the perimeter of the grill so that they fry in the lamb fat as it drips down the sides of the skillet. The ingredients are cooked until tender and can then be dipped in jingisukan sauce, a spicy soy-based sauce made with ginger, grated apple, and onion.
Hokkaido Produce
Hokkaido is also a big producer of produce, the most famous being melon, namely Yubari King Melon. King Melon are known to be the juiciest and the most delicious. Some of the melons have become a delicacy and people pay top dollar for one of these cantaloupe crossbreeds. If delicious fruit is something that strikes your fancy, a popular dessert to try in Hokkaido are the melon soft-serves. This sweet and mellow dessert combines the best of Hokkaido, melons and dairy.