This page introduces a collection of local gourmet foods in Hokkaido. Don’t miss the recommended restaurants where you can taste each local gourmet. Please check out the local gourmet foods loved by many people and try them for yourself!
To learn more about Hokkaido, click here.
Jingisukan (ジンギスカン)
“Jingisukan” is a local Hokkaido dish of grilled lamb meat with vegetables. A special pot with a raised mountain-like center is used to grill the meat on the top and the vegetables underneath. This shape allows the juices from the meat to flow and soak into the vegetables roasting underneath, giving them a rich flavor as well.
Sapporo citizens not only taste it with beer at Jingisukan specialty restaurants, but some families do it like BBQ at cherry blossom viewing or camping, or even have a special pot for Jingisukan. It is truly one of the gourmet foods loved by the people of Hokkaido!
Recommended stores
Matsuo Jingisukan Sapporo Ekimae (松尾ジンギスカン 札幌駅前店)
Daruma Main Shop (だるま 本店)
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Kaisen-don （海鮮丼）
Kaisendon is a bowl of rice topped with seafood such as salmon, salmon roe, scallops, sea urchin, and crab. Kaisen-don is also available outside of Hokkaido, but Hokkaido, where fresh seafood is caught, offers the best tasting Kaisen-don.
The appeal of kaisendon is that you can taste all the delicacies of the sea at once. Many restaurants offer seasonal seafood, so you can enjoy the flavors of the season. Some restaurants also allow you to choose your favorite seafood to put on top of the rice! There are many places in Hokkaido where you can enjoy kaisendon, such as markets, small restaurants, and izakayas (Japanese style pubs), so be sure to visit them.
Recommended stores
Ajidokoro Kikuyo Shokudo Main Restaurant（味処 きくよ食堂 本店）
Otaru Kita no Donburi Ya Takinami Shoten （小樽 北のどんぶり屋 滝波商店）
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Soup curry (スープカレー)
This gourmet dish originated in Sapporo and is made by dipping rice in a soup-like curry. The ingredients used vary from restaurant to restaurant, but the standard ingredients are meat such as chicken legs, pork chops, and lamb chops, and seasonal Hokkaido vegetables cut into large pieces. The spices are stronger than in regular curry, and the emphasis is on the sharpness of the spice aroma and spiciness rather than on a mild sweetness. It is a dish that is smooth and light on the palate but satisfying.
Recommended stores
Magic Spice Sapporo Main Store（マジックスパイス 札幌本店）
Soup Curry Suage+
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Zangi (ザンギ)
In Hokkaido, fried chicken is generally called “zangi”. The appearance of fried chicken and zangi are almost the same, but they differ in terms of whether they are seasoned or not. Zangi is made by seasoning the chicken thoroughly and then deep frying it. On the other hand, fried chicken may not be seasoned, and is made by coating the chicken with a thin layer of flour or potato starch and deep frying it in oil.
Zangi is also characterized by its strong seasoning. It is made by marinating chicken in a sweet and spicy soy sauce, garlic, and ginger-based sauce before frying. It is a staple menu item at restaurants and izakaya (Japanese style pubs) in Hokkaido, so it is a gourmet dish that you should try at least once when you come to Hokkaido.
Recommended stores
Wakadori Jidai Naruto Honten (若鶏時代なると 本店)
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Buta-don (豚丼)
Pork bowl is a bowl of rice topped with a thick slice of pork marinated in a sauce seasoned with sugar and soy sauce. It is said that the birthplace of “buta-don” was Obihiro City in the Tokachi region, where pig farming flourished from the end of the Meiji era (1868-1912). It is characterized by the thick, savory pork on top of the rice and the sweet and spicy sauce, and is easy for children to eat.
Recommended stores
Butadon Ichiban Obihiro Sohonten (豚丼一番 帯広総本店)
Butadon no Hanatokachi (豚丼のはなとかち)
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Miso ramen (味噌ラーメン)
Miso ramen is a type of ramen originating from Sapporo that uses a rich miso broth and medium-thick, wavy noodles. It is usually topped with fried vegetables such as onions, cabbage, and bean sprouts, in addition to chashu pork, minced meat, bamboo shoots, and green onions.
Before the 1950s, in fact, the ramen eaten in Sapporo (Sapporo ramen) was originally soy sauce and salt flavored. However, in 1955, the owner of one of the ramen restaurants in Sapporo created miso-flavored ramen with plenty of vegetables, inspired by miso soup, in order to make a nutritious ramen.
Recommended stores
Hokkaido Ramen Dojo (北海道ラーメン道場)
Ganso Sapporo Ramen Yokocho (元祖さっぽろラーメン横丁)
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Shio ramen (塩ラーメン)
In contrast to Sapporo’s miso ramen, Shio ramen is the mainstream in Hakodate. Hakodate Shio Ramen is popular among women because of its clean, refreshing soup with very little fat. The most distinctive feature of Hakodate Shio Ramen is its clear and transparent soup. The soup is made from chicken bones and pork bones, and is carefully brothed with kelp and other ingredients to create a light and refreshing taste.
Thin noodles are generally used to match the soup. Ingredients are also simple, such as chashu pork, menma, and green onions. Sometimes Fu (wheat gluten) and Naruto (boiled fish paste) are added as toppings, and it is interesting to note that each restaurant has its own characteristics.
Recommended stores
Menchubo Ajisai Main Restaurant（麺厨房 あじさい 本店）
Jiyouken（滋養軒）
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