Hokkaido cuisine: how to cook like a local

Hokkaido cuisine

Local food is celebrated throughout all of Japan but perhaps nowhere more so than in Hokkaido. The country’s northernmost island is well known not only in Japan but also internationally for the quality of its seafood, dairy products, fruit and ramen, among countless other superlative local specialities.

Hokkaido’s unique food culture is a direct result of its unique history. Hokkaido was not officially part of Japan until 1869, when it was annexed by the Meiji government in order to fortify the country’s borders against encroachment by the Russian Empire. Hokkaido’s flatter terrain and colder climate made it difficult to grow rice and other typical Japanese staples, so Japan employed agricultural scientists from the USA and Europe to help establish Western-style farms there. This resulted in what would become many of Hokkaido’s most iconic local foods, including butter, cheese, lamb, beer and bread.

The development of Hokkaido also resulted in the dispossession of the indigenous Ainu, through official policies modelled on the USA’s westward expansion and colonisation of Native American territories. The Meiji government requisitioned Ainu land and banned many of their cultural practices but, despite decades of oppression, the Ainu preserved their traditions in homes and communities. Today, after many years of activism, the Ainu are experiencing a cultural revival and there are a growing number of venues in Hokkaido where you can taste and learn about their cooking, including the recently opened National Ainu Museum in Shiraoi.

The phrase ‘shizen no megumi’ – blessings of nature – is often found on food packaging and advertising in Hokkaido. The idea that the land and waters of Hokkaido provide a bounty of excellent food, requiring very little human intervention to be delicious, is an ethos shared by both Ainu and Japanese culinary traditions. Indeed, some of Hokkaido’s most delicious food is its simplest, such as crab grilled in its shell, raw sea urchin or super-sweet melon. But more complex Hokkaido dishes also rely on local produce. For example, a bowl of Sapporo miso ramen could use miso made from barley and soy beans, noodles from wheat, pork bones, dried seafood, corn and butter – all of which come from Hokkaido.

Tim Anderson's hokkaido recipes

Chīzu imomochi (potato cheese dumpling)

In potato-packed Hokkaido, there is a type of mochi that uses mashed potato and starch in place of glutinous rice. They are aptly called imomochi – potato mochi. The basic version is quite plain but I have seen many variations on them including cheese, honey, soy sauce and butter. This recipe uses all of the above.

Obihiro Butadon (grilled pork bowl)

Butadon is an Obihiro speciality which is an instance of pork acting as a substitute protein. Apparently, the founder of local restaurant Panchō, Shūji Abe, wanted to serve unagi (eel) but it was difficult to procure in Hokkaido. He tried the same dish – same tare, same technique – with local pork instead and found it to be a delicious success. They even hung a banner outside boasting, “Better than unagi-don!”. The tare can be used on most meat and fatty fish. If you like, you can infuse it with aromatics such as garlic or ginger, or umami-rich ingredients like kombu or katsuobushi. The recipe that follows is for a single serving – just scale up as needed. Because the dish is so simple, ingredients and technique are of utmost importance. Which is to say: you must cook this over charcoal and use the best quality pork you can buy.

Chāmen (stir fried noodles with a very thick sauce)

Chāmen is a Wakkanai speciality. While the name chāmen – which just means ‘stir-fried noodles’ – does appear on restaurant menus in other parts of the country, such as the Chinatowns of Yokohama and Nagasaki, this particular version is unique to Wakkanai. Its appeal is irresistible in such a windswept, snowy climate: the incredibly thick sauce (ankake) insulates the veg, noodles and shellfish beneath, like a heavy duvet. The generous portion size is a big selling point as well.