Hokkaido's Best Eats: From Jingisukan to Seafood
Blessed with rich land and seas on three sides, Hokkaido is truly a kingdom of food. From mutton dishes to fresh seafood and city flavors that grew up in their own way, it offers specialties you can taste nowhere else.
Here we introduce the dishes and ingredients that represent Hokkaido, along with how they came to be.
Even the same ingredient is eaten differently from region to region, a charm unique to vast Hokkaido.
The flavors that define Hokkaido
Jingisukan
A dish in which mutton (lamb or mature mutton) is grilled on a dome-shaped pan. Spreading in Hokkaido against the backdrop of sheep farming that began in the Taisho era, it is enjoyed both at home and in restaurants.
Source:農林水産省
Soup curry
A Sapporo-born dish pairing a thin, soupy spice broth with large pieces of vegetables and chicken. Said to trace back to 1970s coffee shops, it is now a Sapporo specialty.
Source:札幌市 公式サイト
Ishikari-nabe
A hotpot of salmon and vegetables simmered in miso. Said to have originated in the Ishikari region from the salmon fishery of the Ishikari River, it is characterized by the umami of salmon and the richness of miso.
Source:HOKKAIDO LOVE!（北海道観光振興機構）
Sampei-jiru
A soup of salted or rice-bran-pickled fish simmered with root vegetables. Unlike the miso-based Ishikari-nabe, the big difference with sampei-jiru is that it is seasoned by the saltiness of the fish itself.
Source:農林水産省
Seafood
Surrounded by sea on three sides, Hokkaido is rich in seafood such as sea urchin, crab, scallops, and kombu kelp. Output of kombu and scallops ranks among the highest in Japan, supporting seafood rice bowls and sushi.
The three great ramen
Sapporo's miso, Hakodate's salt, and Asahikawa's soy sauce make up the 'three great ramen of Hokkaido.' Even with the same ramen, the character of the broth differs clearly from city to city.
Source:HOKKAIDO LOVE!（北海道観光振興機構）
Butadon
A rice bowl, born in Tokachi and Obihiro, of charcoal-grilled pork coated in a sweet-and-savory sauce and laid over rice. The fragrant aroma of the sauce whets the appetite.
Source:帯広市 公式サイト
Dairy products
Hokkaido's output of raw milk is the highest in Japan, accounting for more than half (about 60 percent) of the national total. Fresh dairy products such as butter, cheese, and soft-serve ice cream can be enjoyed all over the region.
Source:農林水産省
FAQ
Is the meat in jingisukan beef?
No, it uses mutton (lamb or mature mutton), not beef. Lamb, from sheep under one year old, has little gaminess and is considered easy to eat.
Does Hokkaido have ramen beyond the three great ramen?
Yes. There are distinctive bowls in each city, such as Kushiro's thin noodles and light soy sauce, and Muroran's curry ramen. Using the three great ramen as an entry point and eating your way around is one way to enjoy it.