9 Must-Eat Dishes in Hokkaido

Hokkaido has a fantastic environment and good water quality, and it also has the best seafood and dairy products in Japan. Here are 9 must-eat foods in Hokkaido, as well as recommended representative restaurants.

The three types of crabs in Hokkaido refer to snow crabs, king crabs, and hairy crabs. When you come to Hokkaido, you must try them. In the assorted dish of three types of crab, the hairy crabs are usually placed as a whole, along with the legs of the other two types of crabs. The restaurants that provide the three types of crabs are mostly located in Sapporo.

Otaru is the hometown of sushi in Hokkaido, with a history of more than 70 years. Otaru Masazushi, an established Sushi Restaurant that has continued for three generations, is located in Hanazono, Otaru. Mr. Nakamura Masanosuke, the third-generation owner of this shop, once won the gold medal in the Hokkaido Nigiri Sushi Technique Competition. Cost per person: 4000-5000 yen (about 30-50 USD) Otaru, where Love Letter was filmed, is a small city only half an hour's drive from Sapporo. It is a romantic place that can be measured with your steps. The city is close to the mountains and the sea, and there are many European buildings and historic sites. The glass products, music boxes and sushi here are also very famous.

Hokkaido is famous for its dairy products, and the ice cream is a must-try! A large ice-cream sign can be seen near Kitaichi Glass in Otaru. There are seven flavors of rainbow ice-cream for sale, which are grape, matcha, strawberry, melon, milk, lavender and chocolate. There may be other different flavors according to different seasons!

Washo Ichiba Market, in which the freshness and delicacy of the seafood are among the best in Hokkaido! The specialty is called "Katte Don". The ingredients are sold in slices. After buying a bowl of rice, you can put whatever seafood you like on the rice. When entering the market, you can see the stalls of "Katte Don". Each stall is slightly different. You can buy a bowl of rice and a bowl of seafood soup first, and then add your favorite seafood to the rice. The price on the stall is the unit price of a slice of fish or a shrimp. You can check out after picking your ingredients, and the restaurant will provide soy sauce and mustard. The price is about 16-33 USD per person. Located in Eastern Hokkaido, Kushiro is the entrance to the three lakes in eastern Hokkaido. Although the city is small, you can eat the most delicious seafood rice, see red-crowned cranes, or go to Lake Akan from Kushiro to spend one night in a hot spring hotel. In addition, Kushiro Station is the starting point of the SL Winter Wetland Train.

Shakotan is located in the northwest of Hokkaido. The sea urchins there are divided into strongylocentrotus purpuratus and strongylocentrotus intermedius. The former is available all year round, and the latter is in ample supply from June to August every year. Strongylocentrotus intermedius is generally recognized as the best. The color of trongylocentrotus purpuratus is a little lighter than the orange strongylocentrotus intermedius. Each piece is comes whole. It just melts in your mouth with the salty smell of kelp and sea water. However, transportation on Shakotan Peninsula is not very convenient, so this place is not generally known to ordinary tourists. It is also a good place to pick a uni-don with direct delivery from Shakotan in Otaru or Sapporo.

Yubari is the most famous melon growing area in Hokkaido. In the past, two melons were sold at an auction for 2 million yen, both of which were from Yubari! Usually, the price of a melon in Yubari is more than 5000 yen from June to July each year, and it can be said that they're the king of summer fruits. Yubari is located in the center of Hokkaido. You can take the JR to Yubari from Sapporo which takes about 2 hours, and in summer you can also visit Farm Tomita.

The most famous dish in Furano is beef sashimi don. The hot rice is covered with a layer of Furano local beef sashimi. Apply soy sauce and mustard evenly to the raw beef. Beef with the proper amount of fat will melt in your mouth, leaving you with an endless aftertaste! Furano is a must-go place in Hokkaido. It's called the Provence in the East. Lavender and sunflowers are everywhere in summer, forming ribbon-like flower hills. You can rent a car, ride a bike, or just walk in the fascinating scenery. It takes about two and a half hours to get there from Sapporo.

Robatayaki originated from the early fishermen's slow fire barbecue of the fish they caught on their stove after going home. Since Kushiro is coastal, the ingredients are fresh, and there is the oldest robatayaki restaurant in Japan there. An 80-year-old granny is the chef. You can enjoy the chef's skills while eating. Located in Eastern Hokkaido, Kushiro is the entrance to the three lakes in eastern Hokkaido. Although the city is small, you can eat the most delicious seafood rice, see red-crowned cranes, or go to Lake Akan from Kushiro to spend one night in a hot spring hotel. In addition, Kushiro Station is the starting point of the SL Winter Wetland Train.

Ramen is also one of the must-eat specialties in Hokkaido. Asahikawa is known as the Kingdom of Ramen, and is especially famous for its shoyu ramen. The soup made of pig and chicken bones is full of flavor. Baikohken, as a Michelin guide recommended restaurant, is the most famous ramen restaurant in Asahikawa. Asahikawa is located in the center of Hokkaido. It is very convenient to go to Furano, Biei or Abashiri from there. It is therefore an important transit station in Hokkaido. Besides ramen, the most famous scenic spot here is Asahikawa Zoo. In winter, you can even see penguins walking in front of you!