Seafood

available in various areas

Freshness and flavor that even impress the Japanese

If you visit Hokkaido, you must try the fresh seafood. Most Japanese people from outside Hokkaido say that they’ve never enjoyed such fat salmon, shining ikura, and succulent sea urchin — that’s how much they’re impressed by the freshness and flavor. Why is Hokkaido seafood so delicious? One reason is the plankton-rich Oyashio Current flowing through the Pacific Ocean near Hokkaido, which nourishes fish with plentiful nutrition. For another reason, the low temperature of the water nurtures sea creatures by toning muscle tissue and helping add layers of fat. You can taste the result in the outstanding quality of Hokkaido seafood.

Get to know the best season for each kind of fish

Urchin, crab, ikura, scallops, tuna… virtually all gourmet fishery products are abundantly available in Hokkaido. But if you’re familiar with the best seasons to sample different fish, you’ll have a better chance to taste seafood delicacies at their finest. For example, botan ebi (shrimp) is best in spring; sagittated calamari (squid) and urchin are best in summer; ikura and tuna are best in autumn; and spear squid is best in winter. Enjoying the changing seasons through your meals is a delicious part of Japanese cuisine and culture.

Kaisen-don — a “must” food choice for seafood lovers

Would you like to try a variety of Hokkaido seafood all at once? Fresh kaisen-don is highly recommended — a bowl of rice with a several kinds of sashimi, accented with soy sauce. Depending on the area of Hokkaido, there are many different kinds of kaisen-don. For instance, Asaichi-shokudo Hakodate Bukkake restaurant in Hakodate morning market serves a luxurious local favorite called daimyomori with a dozen kinds of seafood in a single dish, including urchin, ikura, crab, shrimp, scallops, and more. You can also enjoy a walk through the bustling Hakodate market — an ideal way to experience Japanese “morning culture.”