Hokkaido

  • Genghis Khan (Jingisukan)

    Hokkaido's classic BBQ dish of mutton and vegetables grilled on a dome-shaped iron pot.

    Mutton culture spread with the wool industry during the Meiji era, and specialized pots were invented in the early Showa period, creating today's style. Two schools exist: "marinated" (pre-seasoned) and "raw lamb" (grilled then dipped in sauce), with regional variations from Sapporo's Susukino to Kamikawa and Takikawa. Fruity sauce enhances the unique lamb flavor, pairing perfectly with beer. The Hokkaido way is to finish by cooking udon noodles in the meat juices collected at the pot's rim.

  • Soup Curry

    Silky soup with 20+ spices and chunky ingredients simmered together.

    Born in Sapporo as ethnic cuisine. Originated as medicinal curry in the 1990s, now with over 200 specialty shops. Chicken or pork bone broth blended with spices, topped with deep-fried vegetables and bone-in chicken. Customizable spice level and rice portion, with flexibility to add lemon juice or fried onions.

  • Seafood Bowl (Kaisendon)

    Rice bowl topped with lavish seasonal ingredients like sea urchin, salmon roe, and scallops.

    Freshness unique to Hokkaido, surrounded by three seas. One bowl captures seasonal flavors: summer's Ezobafun sea urchin, autumn's salmon roe, winter's scallops and yellowtail. Each region has its character—Otaru, Hakodate's morning markets, Abashiri roadside stations. The "tea-pour style" finish is also popular.

  • Miso Butter Corn Ramen

    Sapporo-style ramen where rich miso soup blends with butter and sweet corn.

    Classic Sapporo ramen topping. Red miso combined with pork bone white broth, vegetables stir-fried in lard for aroma. Butter adds smoothness, corn adds sweetness, creating a high-calorie bowl that warms the body in cold climates.

  • Zangi

    Fried chicken marinated in garlic soy sauce. Kushiro-born soul food.

    Said to originate in Kushiro, eastern Hokkaido, seasoned with ginger and garlic then deep-fried crispy with potato starch. Spread as factory workers' lunch side dish, now a staple on izakaya menus throughout Hokkaido. Locals prefer bone-in zangi paired with lemon sour.