Shinkoyaki

A roasted half spring chicken - comfort food for Asahikawa’s locals. A local Asahikawa dish that is often featured on television. Conceived shortly after the war, it has been loved by the locals ever since. Shinkoyaki is characterized by the distinct flavor of its different parts, from the crisp outside to the juicy middle. It usually comes in two flavors - “shio (salty)” and “tare (sweet sauce)”, but depending on the restaurant, you can also come across other unique flavors. Unexpectedly, the name comes the “Kohada” fish. The Kohada fish is called “Shinko” when it was young, and since a young spring chicken was used for this dish, it became known as Shinkoyaki.

Ramen (Asahikawa Soy Sauce Horumen)

Asahikawa soy sauce ramen, made with Sapporo miso and Hakodate salt, is famous for being one of the three main ramen dishes in Japan. The double soup is characterized by its use of seafood, shellfish, pork bellies and bone, chicken bones, fish stock, and low water content, curly noodles that blend well with the soup. In order to prevent it from getting cold even in the depths of winter, lard is floated on the surface of the soup. “Asahi Shoyu Ramen”, a dish made in combination with “Offal,” another Asahikawa comfort food, is also popular.

Geso-don

A local specialty that started to gain popularity in the latter half of the 1990s. It’s popularity soared after it was featured on television. There are three types of Geso-don: tenpura, deep-fried, and stir-fried. There are also several ways to present the dish, such as finely chopping the squid tentacles to make it easier to eat, or frying the tentacles as is. Paired with sweet and salty sauce and mixed with rice, this gem of a dish is served at soba shops, ramen shops, and family restaurants.

Shio Horumon

A salted offal that originated in Asahikawa. At one time, the pig-farming industry flourished here, and fresh pig entrails were readily available. For that reason, the word “Horumon” refers to pork offal, not beef offal, in the region around Asahikawa. The flavor, sweetness, amount of fat, and crunchiness differs between the rectum, intestines, and stomach, so you can enjoy the different tastes. They also say that Tontoro (the cut of pork from the cheek to the base of the neck) also originated here, and that the history of pig-farming played a role in the development of food culture in Asahikawa.

Genghis Khan

This is a comfort food that is recognized across Japan as being from Hokkaido. The presentation of this dish depends on the region and the restaurant: sometimes the mutton grilled is after being soaked in sauce, and other times the mutton is grilled before the sauce is applied. The qualities of the meat differ based on the age of the lamb: the meat of sheep under 12 months is called yearling mutton, the meat of sheep over 2 years old is called mutton. One’s impression of the dish will differ depending on which is used. There are well known Genghis Khan restaurants around the Asahikawa area, so be sure to give it a try.

Asahikawa Shoyu Yakisoba

Asahikawa Shoyu (soy sauce) Yakisoba is “Yakisoba” made according to Asahikawa rules. Each shop must come up with a plan to meet 3 conditions: they must use noodles made by blending Hokkaido-grown wheat and Asahikawa flour, sauce must be made from Asahikawa shoyu, and more than one ingredient must be made in Asahikawa (or the Kamikawa area). The secret behind its widespread popularity with people of all ages is the fragrance of burnt soy sauce and the soft and chewy noodles. This local dish came about as a result of its being featured in and sold at the 2010 “Bounty of the North Food March”.