Regional Cuisine of Japan: Hokkaido and Tohoku Region's Local Specialties
What is “Kyōdo Ryōri”? – Japan’s Traditional Local Cuisine.
In Japan, there is a special kind of food called “Kyōdo Ryōri” (郷土料理), which means regional or local cuisine. Various regions have developed their own unique food cultures and these traditional dishes have been passed down through generations in different parts of the country. Each region has its own unique ingredients, cooking methods, and flavors, often shaped by the local climate, geography, and culture.
Kyōdo Ryōri isn’t just about eating—it’s a way to experience the local history, traditions, and lifestyle of each area in Japan. If you're traveling in Japan, trying these regional dishes is one of the best ways to connect with the culture and the people.
In this article, we will introduce the major Regional Dishes from Hokkaido and Tohoku.
Jingisukan (Genghis Khan)
Specially marinated lamb meat is grilled on a dome-shaped iron plate resembling a hat called a Jingisukan grill.
Ishikari Nabe
A miso-based hot pot made with kombu dashi (kelp stock), salmon fillets and bones, tofu, konjac, cabbage, onions, and other ingredients, sprinkled with Japanese pepper (sansho) before eating.
Chanchan-yaki
Whole fish such as salmon or Atka mackerel are steam-grilled on an iron plate or hot plate and seasoned with miso. Cabbage, mushrooms, and other vegetables are added according to preference.
Ichigo-ni (Aomori)
A seafood soup with sea urchin and abalone. The name "ichigo-ni" (strawberry soup) comes from the red sea urchin resembling wild strawberries in the morning mist.
Senbei Jiru (Aomori)
A soup made with chicken broth, seasonal vegetables, and mushrooms, seasoned with soy sauce. Special Nambu senbei crackers (white rice crackers made specifically for soups) are broken into pieces and simmered in the broth.
Wanko Soba (Iwate)
Small portions of soba noodles served in lacquered bowls (called "wanko" in the local dialect). The server calls out encouragement as they continuously refill your bowl, allowing you to enjoy the noodles with various condiments.
Hittsumi (Aomori)
A soy sauce-flavored soup made by kneading wheat flour with water, letting it rest for 1-2 hours, rolling it thin, and then tearing off pieces by hand (the act of tearing is called "hittsumu"). These dough pieces are simmered with seasonal vegetables.
Zunda Mochi (Miyagi)
Boiled edamame (green soybeans) are peeled and lightly mashed in a mortar. Sugar is added, then salt and water to taste. This mixture is spread over freshly pounded rice cakes to make zunda mochi.
Harako Meshi (Miyagi)
Salmon fillets are briefly cooked in broth and set aside. Rice is cooked in salmon roe (harako) broth diluted with water. The fillets and roe are then arranged on top of the rice. This is a famous autumn dish using salmon.
Kiritanpo Nabe (Akita)
Freshly cooked rice is mashed and wrapped around square wooden skewers made from Akita cedar, then grilled over charcoal. These "tanpo" are torn into pieces and simmered with Hinai-jidori chicken, burdock root, mushrooms, green onions, and Japanese parsley in a soy sauce-seasoned broth.
Inaniwa Udon (Akita)
Inaniwa udon features a unique hand-stretching method that produces thin noodles that cook quickly, have a firm texture, and are exceptionally smooth to eat.
Imoni (Yamagata)
"Imoni-kai" (taro potato stew parties) are a Yamagata tradition where people gather outdoors around large pots. These gatherings are said to have been held for over 300 years, with various theories suggesting they originated from agricultural rituals celebrating the "Potato Moon" on the fifteenth night of the eighth month of the lunar calendar.
Dongara Jiru (Yamagata)
During the cold season, Pacific cod is cut into chunks (including the head and internal organs) and cooked with green onions and tofu in a miso-based soup, garnished with rock seaweed. The umami from the milt and liver creates an exquisite flavor.
Kozuyu (Fukushima)
A delicate clear soup where dried scallops are rehydrated in dashi, then combined with tofu fritters, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, taro, wood ear mushrooms, and konnyaku noodles. It's seasoned lightly with soy sauce, salt, and sake, and served in Aizu lacquerware bowls.
Nishin no Sansho-zuke (Fukushima)
A preserved food made by alternating layers of dried, desalted herring fillets with Japanese pepper (sansho) leaves, then pickling them in a marinade of soy sauce, sake, vinegar, and sugar.
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