Ishikawa
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Jibuni
Kanazawa's representative local dish where duck or chicken is coated with wheat flour and simmered with seasonal vegetables in a thick broth.
A samurai household dish passed down since the Edo period, where flouring the meat seals in umami, then simmered with shiitake mushrooms, taro, and fu gluten in sweet-savory broth. Kaga fu's kurumabu (wheel-shaped gluten) absorbs the flavors, traditionally served with wasabi. Duck is used in winter, chicken in summer, with seasonal ingredient variations.
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Kanazawa Curry
B-grade gourmet featuring thick, rich roux served with shredded cabbage on stainless steel plates.
The roux is dark brown, eaten with a fork or spork as its characteristic style. Pork cutlet is the standard topping, served with sauce drizzled over it. Go Go Curry and Champion Curry are local chain restaurants that have expanded nationwide.
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Hanton Rice
Kanazawa Western-style dish with thin omelet over chicken rice, topped with fried white fish and tartar/ketchup sauce.
The name is the shop owner's coined word combining Hungarian 'Han' and French 'Thon' (meaning tuna). Born in a Katamachi Western restaurant in the 1950s, this volume menu won students' hearts.
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Kano-gani (Snow Crab)
Male snow crab landed off Ishikawa Prefecture, identified by blue tags.
Season runs from early November to the following March. Characterized by rich sweetness and fibrous flesh, with versatile cooking methods including sashimi, grilled, and boiled. Females are called Kobako-gani, with exceptionally delicious inner and outer roe, but fishing season is short, only until late December.
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Nodoguro (Blackthroat Seaperch)
Premium white fish with excellent fat content. Served salt-grilled or as seared sushi.
Official name is Akamutsu. Waters off Noto are said to have abundant food, resulting in sweet fat throughout the flesh. Seared and nigiri versions are popular at Kanazawa Station and Nanao conveyor belt sushi restaurants. Simmered and shabu-shabu are also recommended.