TRADITIONAL FOOD

SOUP CURRY (スープカリー)

In addition to curry ramen, Hokkaido's soup curry has also gained great popularity. It's a Japanese-style curry combined with a rich soup broth and served with rice. The soup is loaded with fresh herbs, spices, and large slices of vegetables, making it somewhat healthier than curry ramen. Many soup curry shops will even let you customize your soup, from the spice level to the vegetables and toppings.

JINGISUKAN (ジンギスカン)

Unlike other parts of Japan, Hokkaido is a large consumer of mutton and lamb. One of Hokkaido's most famous dishes is the whimsically named "Genghis Khan", which consists of lamb and vegetables like kabocha pumpkin, cabbage, and bean sprouts cooked on a helmet-shaped grill and dipped in a special sauce. Some people say the name comes from Mongolian warriors who would grill meat on their helmets.

Genghis Khan is a delicious and quintessential Hokkaido food staple that can be enjoyed indoors or outdoors. Some shops even offer a picnic service that includes all the fixings, a portable grill, and a picnic sheet to sit on.

KAISEN-DON (海鮮丼)

Kaisen-don is a donburi, or bowl of hot rice, topped with fresh seafood and sashimi. Common toppings include fat salmon, juicy crab legs, shiny ikura (salmon caviar), sweet scallops, and creamy uni (sea urchin)--and if you think you don't like uni, just wait until you try it in Hokkaido! Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Hokkaido seafood. As you'll see, there's also plenty of freshwater goodness to be found within Hokkaido's rivers.

ISHIKARI NABE (石狩鍋)

Ishikari nabe is a hearty local hot pot dish named for the Ishikari River, the longest river in Hokkaido. This rustic dish is served in a clay or cast iron pot and features a miso-based broth with winter vegetables, salmon, and tofu. It was originally a simple fisherman's stew that was often cooked on the beach after catching salmon at the mouth of the Ishikari River. Nabe is especially popular in the wintertime, and most people eat it at home a few times a week to fight off the cold.

HOKKAIDO RAMEN (北海道ラーメン)

Hokkaido ramen is a mix of many different styles, each delectable in its own way. In Sapporo, you'll find miso ramen with thick, wavy noodles. It's topped with local ingredients such as Hokkaido butter, sweet corn, and even fresh scallops-proof that seafood finds its way into most great Hokkaido cuisine.

In Hakodate, you can enjoy shio ramen, which has a salty chicken broth sometimes with an added touch of pork. The noodles are thin, straight, and served a bit soft.

Asahikawa is known for its shoyu ramen, a soy-based broth made with chicken, seafood, and pork bone topped with a thin layer of oil that floats on top of the soup. The noodles are thin, wavy, and chewy and are made with a lower water content so they can soak up more ramen broth.

In recent years, curry ramen from Muroran city has also become popular thanks to the city's promotional efforts. Curry ramen also features thick and wavy noodles that are a tad chewy.