Place
Hokkaido
北海道
48 items
● 40 born here(Asahikawa Ramen, Asahikawa Horumen, Gatatan Ramen, and more) / ● 6 raised here(Biratori Wagyu, Hokkai Jidori, Hokkaido Whey Buta, and more) / ● 2 prepared here(Matsumae-zuke, Surimi) / ○ 10 known for it here
Born here40
- Asahikawa Ramen旭川ラーメンShoyu — soy saucesoy-based broth with a lard layer that resists the coldSoy-sauce broth built on seafood and pork bones, topped with lard so it stays hot. A response to the region's severe winters.
- Asahikawa Horumen旭川ホルメンShoyu — soy saucethe city's soy ramen, crossed with grilled offalA local dish that crosses Asahikawa's two soul foods — soy-sauce ramen and grilled pork offal. Pork offal, cleaned and prepped to remove its odor, sits on a soy-based broth. It was devised in Asahikawa in the 2010s.
- Gatatan RamenガタタンラーメンShio — saltAshibetsu Gatatan Ramen — a repatriate's soup, poured over noodlesAshibetsu's local dish gatatan, turned into ramen: a salt broth thickened with potato starch, loaded with vegetables, meat and seafood, and finished with a stream of beaten egg.
- Bibai no Torimeshi美唄のとりめしBibai torimeshi — chicken and rice from BibaiChicken and onion are cooked into rice with soy sauce, sugar, and sake — said to trace back to a Meiji-era landowner in Bibai's Nakamura district who had tenant farmers raise chickens, then served them to guests.
- Bibai Yakitori美唄やきとりthe whole bird on a single skewerOne skewer carries the whole bird — offal, skin and all.
- Sake no Chanchan-yaki鮭のチャンチャン焼きSalmon chanchan-yaki — salmon and vegetables steamed with misoSalmon and seasonal vegetables are pan-steamed with miso and butter — said to trace back to fishing towns along the Ishikari coast, where it was cooked quickly on deck or shore right after the catch.
- Hakodate Ramen函館ラーメンShio — saltclear salt broth, among the oldest ramen styles in JapanA clear salt broth with thin, straight noodles. It grew in a port city exposed early to food culture from abroad.
- Bekomochiべこ餅leaf-shaped two-tone rice cakeRice-flour dough colored white with sugar and dark with black sugar is shaped like leaves and steamed. One story behind the name bekomochi (beko meaning cow) is that the pattern recalls a Holstein.
- Imomochiいももちpan-fried potato cakes (also called imodango)Steamed potato is mashed and bound with potato starch, then pan-fried until browned — also called imodango. Said to have begun as a stand-in for mochi rice in years when rice was hard to grow.
- Izushi飯寿司fish and rice pickled with kojiFish and vegetables are packed with rice malt and left to ferment slowly at low temperature — a narezushi made with herring, atka mackerel, or salmon, said to be pickled in late autumn and eaten around New Year's.
- Jingisukanジンギスカンgrilled lamb barbecueLamb or mutton is grilled with vegetables on a domed skillet. Said to have been devised with Chinese roast-lamb dishes as a reference, following Taisho-era efforts to promote sheep farming in Hokkaido.
- Konbumaki昆布巻きkelp rolls filled with salmon or herringSalmon or herring is rolled in soft Hidaka kelp, tied with dried gourd strips, and simmered sweet. Kelp's name echoes the Japanese word for "joy," making this a fixture of New Year's osechi.
- RamenラーメンHokkaido ramen — regional ramen traditions of Sapporo, Hakodate, and AsahikawaAn umbrella term for the ramen styles shaped by cold-climate Hokkaido — Sapporo's miso, Hakodate's shio, and Asahikawa's shoyu with its aromatic oil cap — each said to reflect local conditions.
- Sekihan赤飯Hokkaido sekihan — sweet rice with candied beans instead of azukiGlutinous and regular rice are tinted pink with food coloring, then folded with candied beans instead of the azuki used elsewhere in Japan — a sweeter take said to have spread from a method devised for busy mothers.
- Ikameshiいかめしsquid stuffed with riceSquid bodies are stuffed with a mix of glutinous and regular rice, then slow-simmered in a soy-sweet broth. Said to have been devised as a station bento at Mori Station during wartime rice shortages.
- Ikura Shoyu-zukeいくら醤油漬けsalmon roe marinated in soy sauceSalmon roe separated from the skein and steeped in a soy sauce marinade, a Hokkaido specialty known for its popping texture and mellow umami. Households are said to put up a batch each autumn during salmon season.
- Ishikari Nabe石狩鍋Miso-basedsalmon and vegetable miso hot potChunks of salmon and its trimmings simmer with cabbage, daikon, and kelp dashi, finished with miso — said to have begun among fishermen at the mouth of the Ishikari River, celebrating a good catch.
- Tempura Ramen天ぷらラーメンShio — saltIwanai Tempura Ramen — a soba shop's tempura, dropped into ramenA specialty of Iwanai, at the foot of the Shakotan Peninsula: a light chicken-and-bonito broth, salted or soy-based, topped with one or two pieces of freshly fried shrimp tempura — said to have started as a soba shop's tempura, dropped into ramen instead.
- Kamikawa Ramen上川ラーメンTonkotsu — pork bonepork-bone broth built on Mount Taisetsu's meltwaterA ramen from Kamikawa, made with meltwater filtering down from Mount Taisetsu. A milky pork-bone broth is the common thread, though the finishing tare — miso or salt — varies by shop, in a style distinct from neighboring Asahikawa's soy double-soup.
- Kasube no Nitsukeカスベの煮付けsimmered skateSkate — called kasube in Hokkaido dialect — is simmered with ginger, soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. As a cartilaginous fish its bones soften enough to eat whole, and the chilled broth is said to set into a savory aspic.
- Katte-don勝手丼build-your-own seafood rice bowlRice bought first, then topped with sashimi hand-picked stall by stall around the market. Said to have originated at Kushiro's Washo Market, a way of eating rooted in sitting close to where the fish is landed.
- Kujira Jiru鯨汁salted whale and vegetable soupSalted whale meat is simmered with daikon, tofu, and wild greens in a soy-based broth — a New Year's dish from southern Hokkaido, where whales were once revered as creatures said to drive herring toward shore.
- Kushiro Ramen釧路ラーメンShoyu — soy saucelight soy broth with very thin wavy noodlesVery thin wavy noodles in a light soy broth — gentle enough for a port town's morning.
- Muroran Curry Ramen室蘭カレーラーメンBesides shoyu, miso, shio and tonkotsucurry broth ramen from the steel townRamen in a proper curry broth, thick enough to cling to the noodles.
- Muroran Yakitori室蘭やきとりpork skewers with hot mustard, still called yakitoriNot chicken but pork shoulder with onion, eaten with hot mustard — yet still called yakitori.
- Nakashibetsu Milky Ramen中標津ミルキーラーメンMisolocal milk poured into the brothA local ramen from the dairy town of Nakashibetsu. The only rule is at least 100cc of Nakashibetsu milk in the broth — miso and other seasonings are left to each shop. It was devised to boost milk consumption after a glut of surplus raw milk made local news.
- Nishin Sobaニシン蕎麦herring simmered sweet, laid over sobaDried herring simmered sweet and laid over soba. A Kyoto origin is also claimed, but Hokkaido's version is said to trace to a recipe kept by a herring-fishing family in Esashi. The Hokkaido broth runs darker and faintly sweeter.
- Obihiro Butadon豚丼（帯広）Obihiro-style grilled pork rice bowlCharcoal-grilled pork coated in an eel-kabayaki-style glaze and served over rice, Obihiro's local bowl. Said to have begun as a stand-in for eel, once too costly, using pork that was easy to get instead.
- Okhotsk Dried Scallop Ramenオホーツク干貝柱ラーメンShio — salta coastline's scallop, whole on topA local ramen served along the Okhotsk coast from Wakkanai to Abashiri. A whole rehydrated dried scallop sits on top, and the salt broth is built from scallop extract and sea salt drawn from the same coastline.
- Otaru Ankake Yakisoba小樽あんかけ焼そばHokkaido's thick-sauced fried noodles, credited to a harbor-town dinerThe dish is widely credited to Baigetsu, a Chinese restaurant that relocated near Otaru Station in 1957, though accounts vary and some point to an earlier shop. What is certain is that it caught on as a way to warm up in a cold harbor town, and it is still served at more than 100 shops across Otaru today.
- Rishiri Ramen利尻ラーメンShio — saltkelp country's ramen, kneaded with its own kelpA ramen from Rishiri Island, home of the prized rishiri kelp. It's seasoned with salt so the kelp stock's flavor stays clear, and some shops even knead kelp into the noodles — a bowl built around the island's volcanic-grown kelp.
- Ruibeルイベfrozen raw salmon sashimiSalmon or trout is sliced thin while still frozen and eaten raw — said to descend from an Ainu method of burying fish in snow to preserve it and guard against parasites, prized for how it melts slowly in the mouth.
- Sampei Jiru三平汁salted fish and vegetable soupSalted salmon, cod, or herring simmers with daikon and potato, seasoned by the fish's own salt alone. One story behind the name traces it to a Matsumae domain lord who took a liking to a fisherman's simple soup.
- Sapporo Ramen札幌ラーメンMisomiso broth sealed with lard and topped with stir-fried vegetablesMiso broth combined with stir-fried vegetables and capped with lard to hold the heat. Medium-thick wavy noodles carry the soup.
- Shishamo no Kanroniししゃもの甘露煮Shishamo kanroni — smelt simmered in sweet soyGrilled shishamo smelt is simmered slowly in soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Made with a native species that spawns only in a handful of Pacific-coast rivers, with roe-bearing females said to be especially prized.
- SupakatsuスパカツA hot-plate pork cutlet set on ketchup spaghetti, from a Kushiro dinerThe dish is traced to Izumiya, a Western-style diner in Kushiro founded in 1959. In a city not yet used to Western food, and in a climate that runs cool even in summer, the restaurant served its spaghetti on a hot iron plate so it would stay hot at the table, the idea that became spakatsu.
- Tachi no Miso Shiruたちの味噌汁cod milt miso soupWhole cod or walleye pollock milt goes into kelp dashi and is finished with miso. In Hokkaido milt is called tachi, with Pacific cod's distinguished as "ma-dachi" — a winter home-cooking staple.
- Teppo Jiruてっぽう汁crab miso soupCrab simmers in kelp dashi, finished with miso, tofu, and scallion — a Nemuro fishing dish said to be named for the way diners pick at crab legs with chopsticks, resembling the motion of loading a gun.
- Wakkanai Ramen稚内ラーメンShio — saltkelp and pork bone, double-stocked against the coldA ramen from Wakkanai, Japan's northernmost fishing town. A salt version is especially popular, its kelp-and-pork-bone double stock capped with lard, and an unusual topping of wheat gluten cake that soaks up the broth as you eat.
- ZangiザンギHokkaido-style marinated fried chickenChicken marinated in a soy-based sauce and deep-fried, said to have originated in Kushiro, Hokkaido, around 1955 at a chicken restaurant in the Suehiro district. Marinating well before frying is cited as its key difference from plain karaage.
Raised here6
- Biratori Wagyuびらとり和牛descended from breeding stock brought from Shimane in 1962Japanese Black raised in Biratori, Hidaka, founded on breeding cattle brought from Shimane in 1962 — finished slowly through harsh winters, said to give the meat a notably deep flavor.
- Hokkai Jidori北海地鶏a three-way cross raised on the Tokachi plainSaid to be a three-way cross bred by a Hokkaido prefectural research station from a Nagoya-breed sire and a large shamo–Rhode Island Red dam line; reportedly free-ranged from 28 days old for 120 days or more.
- Hokkaido Whey Buta北海道ホエイ豚pork finished on cheesemaking wheyPigs fed whey left over from cheesemaking. Said to have started in 2001 when a cheese workshop and hog farmers in Nakasatsunai, Tokachi, teamed up — only pigs meeting set standards may use the name.
- Shiraoi Gyu白老牛raised on wheat, okara, and brewer's byproducts by the Pacific coastJapanese Black raised in Shiraoi, facing the Pacific, where breeding has continued since around 1954 — fed wheat, okara, and brewer's byproducts, said to yield fine marbling and a deep richness.
- Tokachi Wagyu十勝和牛Hokkaido's rangeland wagyu, calved and finished across the Tokachi plainBorn in Hokkaido and finished over a long span on the Tokachi plain, a farming district — registered as a regional collective trademark, and said to balance mellow fat with lean umami.
- Toukibi Butaとうきび豚pork raised on Hokkaido-grown feed cornRaised on feed that is 98% Hokkaido-grown, centered on feed corn grown as a rotation crop in South Sorachi's rice paddies — the kernels go to the pigs, the stalks and leaves back into the soil.
Prepared here2
- Matsumae-zuke松前漬けsquid, kelp, and herring roe steeped in soy sauce, a Hokkaido winter keeperShredded dried squid and kelp steeped in a soy-based marinade — a preserve said to trace to Matsumae in southern Hokkaido. It began with herring roe from the region's herring fishery and remains a fixture of New Year's cooking.
- Surimiすり身the frozen fish paste that remade the industrySurimi is ground fish paste, the base material for every fish-paste product. A freezing technique established in Hokkaido around 1959 is said to have made it possible to process fish from distant waters year-round, anywhere in the country.
Known for it here31
- Kaisendon海鮮丼Seafood rice bowlA rice bowl topped with an assortment of raw seafood. Thought to have spread nationwide after the war as refrigeration and transport improved, it has no single fixed form: shops differ over plain versus vinegared rice. Its origin is unsettled — one account points to diners in Hokkaido's Hakodate and Kushiro, another to Edo-style chirashi-zushi — with no single birthplace agreed upon.At Kushiro's Washo Market, diners build their own bowl (kattedon) by picking seafood from the stalls and adding it to rice bought separately — a custom rooted in a market that sells fish landed close by. At Otaru's Sankaku Market, steps from the station, shoppers buy seafood straight from the fishmongers' stalls and have it prepared on the spot into a custom rice bowl — buying and eating happen in the same market. Hakodate's morning market grew up beside the station and port just after the war, and it is home to seafood-bowl restaurants such as Kikuyo Shokudo, founded in 1956, serving fish landed close to where it is sold.
- NanatsuboshiななつぼしKnown sourcea cooled-and-still-tasty Hokkaido standardA flagship Hokkaido variety said to keep its flavor even after cooling, with a light taste that pairs well with both Japanese and Western dishes, and suits bento. Named for 'seven stars', it's said to rank among Hokkaido's most widely planted varieties.One of Hokkaido's top-planted varieties.
- YumepirikaゆめぴりかKnown sourceHokkaido's premium, especially sticky riceAmong Hokkaido rice, said to carry unusually strong stickiness and sweetness; its name blends 'yume' (dream) with the Ainu word for beautiful, and it's said to stay sticky even cooled. Said to have long held the top 'special A' taste rating, giving it wide recognition nationwide.Promoted by the prefecture as a flagship recommended variety.
- Kirara 397きらら397Known sourcethe Hokkaido variety that changed the north's reputationSaid to be the pioneering variety that reversed Hokkaido rice's once-poor reputation, with a light taste, paving the way for later brands like Nanatsuboshi. Its name is said to evoke a sparkling glint, and it's credited as the starting point for later Hokkaido brand rice.Said to have transformed Hokkaido rice's image since its 1988 debut.
- SanmaサンマBlue-backed fishPacific saury — the fish that announces autumn with smoke and saltA slender migratory fish at its peak in autumn, traditionally grilled whole with salt, innards included. Ports facing waters where the shoals come close to shore land the most, and the fat and bitter innards are said to reflect that year's catch.Facing waters where saury shoals come close to shore each autumn, this port lands among Japan's largest saury catches by stick-held dip net.
- SakeサケRed-fleshed fishchum salmon — the fish that returns to its home riverA migratory fish that returns to spawn in its home river, fattening the longer it feeds in northern seas. Salted, dried as aramaki, or taken for ikura roe — river-mouth ports landing it just before the spawning run prize both its fat and firm flesh.A port town at the base of the Shiretoko Peninsula, among Japan's top landing sites for river-returning salmon.
- KareiカレイWhite fishKnown sourceflounder — a broad family of flatfish eaten simmered or friedA broad family of flatfish, distinguished from hirame by 'eyes on the right'. Enjoyed simmered or deep-fried — colder-water species tend to run fattier, and both season and source vary widely across the many types sold under this name.
- HokkeホッケWhite fishOkhotsk atka mackerel — the grilled fish of Hokkaido izakayaThe fish behind Hokkaido izakaya's split, salt-grilled classic. It fattens more in the cold Oyashio current, and because it travels poorly fresh, an overnight-dried himono tradition developed that is said to concentrate its flavor.Facing waters fed by the cold Oyashio current, this port lands among Japan's largest hokke catches alongside its overnight-dried himono tradition.
- ShishamoシシャモOther stylesJapanese shishamo — a small autumn fish caught only off Hokkaido's Pacific coastA small fish found only off Hokkaido's Pacific coast. Grilled whole, roe and all, as an autumn specialty — its limited habitat confines the season to the river-mouth run, so the genuine article is scarce and distinct from imported look-alikes.Because true shishamo live only along Hokkaido's Pacific coast, the autumn run up rivers like the Mukawa is the only window to catch them.
- MadaraタラWhite fishPacific cod — a winter fish whose name means 'plenty'A winter fish said to give Japanese the phrase 'eat one's fill'. Its mild flesh goes into hot pots, and it yields both shirako milt and the roe for tarako — cold-strait ports developed kombu-curing to draw out flavor from its plain flesh.Facing the Tsugaru Strait, this city has long paired its cod fishery with kombu-curing and hot-pot traditions dating to the Edo period.
- NishinニシンBlue-backed fishherring — the fish that built Hokkaido's coastal fortunesThe fish behind Hokkaido's 'herring mansions', built on booming catches from the Meiji era into early Showa. Its roe is kazunoko, and a history of shoals so dense spawning turned the sea white lives on in dried mikaki-nishin preservation.Spawning shoals once ran so dense the coast turned white in what was called 'kuki' — the wealth they brought survives in the city's herring mansions.
- KinkiキンキWhite fishbroadbanded thornyhead — a rich, deep-red fish from northern deep watersA deep-red fish from the cold, deep waters of the north, exceptionally fatty and richly flavored when simmered. Living hundreds of meters down, it is caught in only limited numbers, and just a few ports with grounds that deep land it reliably.Grounds several hundred meters deep off Shiretoko yield this premium fish, taken by gillnet and longline.
- WakasagiワカサギFreshwater fishKnown sourcepond smelt — the fish of winter ice-hole fishingA small lake fish famous as the target of winter ice-hole fishing. It schools densely in brackish lakes rich in plankton feed, and is eaten whole as tempura or in sweet vinegar nanban-zuke, bones and all.
- TarabaganiタラバガニShrimp and crabKnown sourcethe king crab that is technically a hermit crab relativeCrab-shaped but biologically closer to hermit crabs. Its thick legs pack in substantial, fibrous meat that pulls apart in strands. Popular in winter hot pot or grilled, mostly landed in Hokkaido.Landed mainly along the Okhotsk Sea and Nemuro Strait coast.
- Hanasakigani花咲ガニShrimp and crabKnown sourcea crab that turns flower-red only when boiledDark brown while alive, it is said to take its name from turning flower-bright red once boiled. Beneath its thick, spiny shell sits substantial meat and rich roe.Named for and mainly landed around the Hanasaki Peninsula.
- Kegani毛ガニShrimp and crabKnown sourcethe short-legged crab whose shell bristles hint at rich innardsA compact crab whose shell is covered in short bristles. Its real appeal is not the leg meat but the dense, rich innards packed under the shell, in season winter through spring, usually just boiled plain.Landed around Hokkaido, especially along the Okhotsk Sea coast.
- HotateホタテShellfishKnown sourcethe scallop whose one strong muscle powers it across the seabedA bivalve that swims by clapping its shell with a single strong adductor muscle, jetting water to move. That muscle stays plump and sweet whether raw, grilled, or fried, mainly farmed in Hokkaido and Tohoku.One of Japan's leading scallop-landing municipalities.
- Tsubugaiツブ貝ShellfishKnown sourcea catch-all name for several whelks with a slow, chewy biteA common name covering several whelk species. Prized for a chewy bite and a faint bitterness that deepens with each chew, eaten raw, butter-fried, or simmered, in season winter through spring.The Okhotsk Sea coast here is a notable whelk fishing ground.
- Rausu Konbu羅臼昆布Known sourcea kelp grown in the nutrient-rich waters off a World Heritage peninsulaAmong dashi kelps, known for an especially rich taste and strong aroma. The broth runs cloudy but intensely savory, and the leaf is soft enough that the kelp itself is often eaten, simmered in soy — a top-grade item prized in fine restaurants.Landed at the base of the Shiretoko Peninsula, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, in nutrient-rich waters.
- Hidaka Konbu日高昆布Known sourcea soft-cooking kelp eaten as much as it flavorsFormally called mitsuishi kelp. Softer and quicker-cooking than other kelps, sometimes called "fast-boiling kelp"; the spent strands are easy to eat as a simmered side after making dashi, making it a household all-rounder.The former Mitsuishi coast is the main producing area, said to keep a sun-drying method unchanged for over a century.
- Botan Ebiボタン海老Shrimp and crabKnown sourcea large pink prawn named for its peony-like spotsA large shrimp said to be named for the peony-like red markings on its shell. Prized for a sticky, dense texture and strong sweetness, most often eaten raw as sashimi or sushi.The Shiribeshi coast on the Sea of Japan side is among its main fishing grounds.
- Hokkigaiホッキ貝ShellfishKnown sourcea cold-water clam whose orange foot turns a dish crimsonFormally the surf clam, it lives buried in sand in cold seas. Pale orange raw, its foot turns bright crimson once cooked, valued for a crisp bite and sweetness in sushi, rice dishes, and soup.A port town so tied to this clam that it is designated the city's official fish.
- Surume IkaスルメイカSquid and octopusKnown sourceJapan's most-landed squid, named for how it driesJapan's most heavily landed squid, named for the dried surume snack it is often turned into. Raw, it has a crisp bite and mild sweetness, used everywhere from sashimi to overnight-dried snacks, with fishing peaking in autumn and winter.A port so tied to squid fishing that its night-time fishing-boat lights draw tourists.
- MizudakoミズダコSquid and octopusKnown sourcethe world's largest octopus species, caught in cold northern watersReckoned the world's largest octopus species, living in cold northern waters. Its large, water-rich flesh is softer than madako's, turning mild and sweet when briefly blanched for sashimi, in season through winter.Funka Bay's cold water makes it a notable fishing ground for this octopus.
- Bafun UniバフンウニOther stylesKnown sourcea small, dark urchin named for resembling horse droppingsA small urchin whose shell shape is said to resemble horse droppings, hence the name. Richer and creamier than murasaki uni, in season winter through spring, often sold preserved in brine rather than alum.Around Rebun Island, where it feeds on kelp, the urchin is said to fill out especially well.
- Makonbu真昆布Known sourcethe kelp once presented to shoguns as tributeA kelp known for refined sweetness and a clear, golden broth. Thick enough that the spent leaves stay soft for simmered dishes. Once presented by the Matsumae domain to the shogunate and imperial court, hence its nickname, tribute kelp.The former Minamikayabe coast is known for thick, white-cut kelp, producing over a tenth of Japan's total kelp harvest.
- Rishiri Konbu利尻昆布Known sourcethe clear-broth kelp favored by Kyoto kaiseki cookingKnown for yielding a clear, refined broth that stays translucent even at strong concentration. Long favored in Kyoto kaiseki cooking, indispensable for both dashi and senmaizuke pickles, usually reserved for stock rather than eating.Grown along the northern Hokkaido coast around Rishiri and Rebun islands; the cold, clear sea is said to yield its refined broth.
- Yakitori焼き鳥chicken, or sometimes pork, grilled on skewers by cutChicken, mostly, cut by part and skewered over charcoal or a wire rack — prime cuts like thigh and breast take heat very differently from offal such as neck meat, gizzard, or liver. In some regions the skewers hold pork instead, yet the dish keeps the name yakitori.In the early Showa era, when pig farming was promoted to supply materials such as military boots, offal from those pigs is said to have been skewered and grilled — the start of Muroran's yakitori. Pork shoulder and onion eaten with hot mustard, rather than chicken, is said to remain the local form.
- Karaage唐揚げbite-sized fried chicken, marinated before batteringChicken marinated in soy sauce, ginger, and garlic, then lightly floured and deep-fried. Karaage is eaten everywhere in Japan, yet in some places the marinade, the sauce, or whether the bone stays in has settled into a distinct local form.Kushiro's signature is zangi, boneless chicken marinated in a distinctive sauce before frying; one long-established shop's Worcestershire-like sauce is said to date back to its opening. Served mostly at izakaya and robatayaki grills, it has long been paired with drinking.
- Pooku ChappuポークチャップMeatKnown sourcePork chap — a thick-cut pork loin in a ketchup-based demi-glace-style sauceA thick-cut pork loin coated in a ketchup-based demi-glace-style sauce. Ketchup is said to have taken the place of madeira sauce in the style that stuck, and well-known shops remain scattered across Hokkaido.
- TarakoたらこKnown sourcesalted pollock roeWalleye pollock roe cured in salt alone — the base ingredient behind karashi mentaiko. Its mild saltiness and popping texture come through whether eaten raw or grilled, alongside rice.Considered one of Japan's leading tarako-processing areas, the name 'Kojohama tarako' is registered as a regional collective trademark.
Food experiences here
- Hakodate Morning MarketMarkets & morning marketsMainly an early-morning to midday market (closing days and hours vary by shop). Some shops keep shorter hours in winter.
- Kushiro Washo MarketMarkets & morning marketsHours vary by season (closed Sundays January–March; open daily April–December, according to the market). Mornings tend to be the liveliest time.