Learn about Aomori's history through food. 10 exquisite local delicacies born from Aomori's unique food culture

Having moved from Tokyo to Aomori, Kudo Ken, editor-in-chief of the Hirosaki Economic Newspaper, said, "I was surprised by the abundance of food and delicacies!" In fact, Aomori has a surprising amount of local cuisine and delicacies. So, we asked Kudo to recommend 10 dishes that you should try when you visit Aomori, dividing them into "traditional delicacies" that have been around since before the war and "modern delicacies" that were created after the war. From rare dishes to dishes that will make you feel nostalgic, we hope you will enjoy your encounter with Aomori's unknown foods.

A delicious dish born from the fact that rice cultivation is not suitable for this region. "Senbei soup" is a hot pot dish in which rice crackers are placed in the pot.

Aomori's traditional cuisine, part 1

Aomori is probably the only place in Japan where rice crackers are used as an ingredient in hot pot dishes. Senbei soup is mainly eaten in the Hachinohe area, located in the east of Aomori, and its climate and food culture are the background to its creation. The Hachinohe area has a cold seasonal wind called "Yamase" from the Pacific Ocean that keeps temperatures low in the summer, making it difficult to grow rice. As a result, people started eating unique rice crackers made from wheat flour instead of rice. They ate them as a staple food or snack, but they also started adding them to hot pot dishes.

You may think it's a unique combination, but once you try it, you'll realize it was the right choice. The hard rice crackers absorb the soup from the pot like wheat gluten, and are best cooked al dente, with a little of the core still remaining. You'll be surprised at how well rice crackers and hot pot go together, even better than you'd think.

For example, the soy sauce flavored "Shozen." There are many "Meister stores" in Hachinohe city.

There are many restaurants in Hachinohe where you can eat senbei-jiru, but we recommend the ones that have been awarded the "Hachinohe Senbei-jiru Hospitality Meister" by the citizens' group "Hachinohe Senbei-jiru Research Institute." There are over 20 restaurants in the city, and they are marked by a Hachinohe Senbei-jiru flag. One of these, "Nihonshu Izakaya Matsuzen," located in front of Hachinohe Station, serves a standard soy sauce-based flavor. They also offer set menus with sushi. The seasonings and ingredients vary from restaurant to restaurant, making Hachinohe Senbei-jiru something you can enjoy over and over again.

"Igamenchi" - a local dish from Tsugaru born from the wisdom of everyday life

Aomori's traditional cuisine, part 2

Igamenchi is a local dish found in the Tsugaru region. It is said that it originated from the idea of eating all the leftover tentacles of the squid in order to eat up all the precious seafood without waste. In other words, it is squid menchi. Recipes vary from household to household, and it can be deep-fried with chopped onions and other vegetables, grilled, or broiled. There are many different ways to make it.

My personal favorite is the fried version of Igamenchi. It's fluffy inside and crispy on the outside, creating a contrast in texture, and you can add sauce or mayonnaise as toppings to increase the variety of flavors. It's a standard gourmet dish at restaurants serving local cuisine, mainly in Hirosaki.

Like fast food: "Niji no Mart" market in front of Hirosaki Station

"Niji no Mart" has been loved by the people of Hirosaki for over 60 years as their kitchen. Not only can you get fresh ingredients here, but there is also a wide variety of prepared foods. Due to the influence of TV and magazines, Igamenchi is also visited by tourists from outside the prefecture and abroad. Why not take a stroll around the market with Igamenchi in hand?

The deep flavor of the sea urchin and abalone makes this fisherman's soup "Ichigo-ni" very impressive.

Aomori's traditional cuisine, part 3

Just hearing the name might make you think of a dish made with boiled fruit, but that's not the case. "Ichigo-ni" is a clear soup containing sea urchins and abalone, and the name comes from the fact that the bright red clumps of sea urchin ovaries look like wild strawberries sparkling in the morning mist. It is a popular dish known as fishermen's food, and originated from boiled sea urchins. It was beloved along the Sanriku coast, which has many fishing ports, but now it is served in traditional Japanese restaurants and at celebratory occasions.

It is a simple dish made with a milky white broth full of the flavor of sea urchin, abalone, and green shiso as a condiment, but you can enjoy its complex and deep flavor. It can be eaten all year round, but the best time to eat it is June to July, when sea urchin is in season.

Ginpa: A Japanese-style restaurant where you can enjoy strawberry stew and other delicacies from the land and sea

Ginpa, a Japanese restaurant located in Hachinohe city, serves local cuisine using seafood caught at Hachinohe Port and locally grown vegetables, as well as a variety of local and Japanese sake. There are counter seats and private rooms, and they also offer course meals. In addition to stewed strawberries, this is a restaurant where you can fully enjoy the charms of local cuisine.

The taste of a mother's home cooking in snow country. "Keno-jiru" with the rich flavor of vegetables

Aomori's traditional cuisine, part 4

"Keno-jiru" is a local dish made by chopping root vegetables such as daikon radish and carrots and simmering them in miso. It can be made in large quantities and eaten over several days, helping women with housework and being a valuable source of nutrition in the snowy Tsugaru region. The ingredients vary depending on the region and can include fried tofu, tofu, and wild vegetables.

The delicious flavor of the finely chopped vegetables will permeate your entire being. Once you take a bite of the overflowing vegetables, you won't be able to stop. This simple yet delicious country soup is nutritious and will warm you to the core in the cold winter.

"Kikufuji" is a long-established restaurant serving local cuisine in Hirosaki

Located near Dotemachi Street in Hirosaki's downtown area, Kikufuji is a Japanese restaurant that was founded nearly 100 years ago. In addition to Kenojiru, you can also enjoy local Tsugaru dishes such as "Jappajiru" and "Tsugaru Soba." You can casually drop in at lunchtime or relax in a private room.

Use a shell as a container to prevent spills. Enjoy eating "shellfish-roasted miso."

Aomori's Traditional Food Part 5

"Kaiyaki-miso" is made by using a scallop shell as a pot, adding miso and scallops to a stock made from spring onions, bonito flakes, and dried sardines, and then binding it with an egg. A large scallop shell, about 20cm in diameter, is used and the dish is eaten by stirring with a spoon.

We recommend eating the simmering shellfish miso while blowing on it to cool it down. The shells used as containers make it photogenic. Locals often say they ate it when they were sick as children, but adults can't think of anything other than a snack to go with alcohol.

Nakagawa: A popular restaurant loved by locals

"Miso-yaki miso" is eaten in the Tsugaru region, but in the Shimokita Peninsula it is called "miso-keyaki" and is characterized by the inclusion of a variety of ingredients. Nakagawa in Mutsu City claims to be the original owner of this dish on the Shimokita Peninsula. This is the store that first offered "miso-keyaki," a popular home-cooked dish, as a product about 50 years ago.

The three flavors in one. "Miso Curry Milk Ramen" with a perfect balance

Aomori's Modern Gourmet Part 1

Miso curry milk ramen is a soul food that has been loved by Aomori residents for about 50 years. You may not be able to imagine what it tastes like, but once you try it, you will understand why it is counted as one of Aomori's specialties. It was created as a joke by a student who was a regular at the ramen shop "Aji no Sapporo Onishi," but now it can be eaten at ramen shops throughout the prefecture, mainly in Aomori City.

The golden fat and whitish soup, reminiscent of curry, is served with a large piece of butter in the middle. The noodles are medium-thick and curly, with a firm texture. The spicy curry stands out at first, followed by the richness of the miso, but the milk adds a mellow, gentle flavor. Please enjoy the dish while melting the butter.

A ramen restaurant called "Aji no Sapporo Onishi" located a 10-minute walk from Aomori Station

"Aji no Sapporo Onishi" is also known as the "originator of miso curry milk ramen" and is run by the current owner, Fumio Onishi, who worked under the creator, the late Kiyoshi Sato. The restaurant has a counter and a raised area, and there are long lines at lunchtime. In addition to miso curry milk ramen, they also have a variety of other ramen dishes, all of which are sure to taste great.

It looks like ramen, but has a sauce flavor. "Kuroishi Tsuyu Yakisoba" was born in the city of noodles.

Aomori's Modern Gourmet Part 2

It is said that Kuroishi Tsuyu Yakisoba started over half a century ago. In Kuroishi city, where there has been a noodle factory since the Taisho era, yakisoba was a common delicacy on par with candy stores. The soup was added after the war. There are various theories as to why, but one is that it was to warm up prepared yakisoba. In the Kuroishi area, there are over 70 stores, including delicatessens, that serve it.

The soup is rich in dashi and contains thick, flat fried noodles. It looks similar to ramen, but the noodles are actually sauce-flavored fried noodles. The harmony between the soup and noodles is surprisingly pleasant, and it balances out the oiliness of the fried noodles to an appropriate degree. The local way is to adjust the flavor to your liking with oyster sauce or other ingredients.

Suzunoya, a traditional yakisoba restaurant in an old arcade

Suzunoya is a popular restaurant on Nakamachi Komise Street that has been around since the feudal era. The restaurant is known as a representative restaurant for Kuroishi Tsuyu Yakisoba, with autographs of various celebrities lined up inside. The current owner of Suzunoya, Suzuki Tamio, was a regular customer at Misu (now closed), the restaurant where Kuroishi Tsuyu Yakisoba originated, and serves it using a recipe that recreates the taste of the restaurant.

"Towada Barayaki" - Aomori's Yakiniku Culture Born from the Ironware Industry

Aomori's Modern Gourmet Part 3

"Towada Barayaki" is a simple dish of pork belly and onions placed on a hot plate, drenched in a sweet and spicy soy sauce made with apples from Aomori Prefecture and garlic, and grilled until sizzling. However, don't underestimate it as just any other grilled meat. The sweetness of the generous amount of onion mixed with the sauce creates an exquisitely balanced flavor. There are many ways to eat it, such as putting it on rice or pouring a raw egg over it.

In Towada city, the style of serving varies from restaurant to restaurant, and the types of meat used vary from pork, beef, and horse. One of the reasons why "Towada Bara Yaki" took root in this area is that cast iron plate making, which is a descendant of Nambu ironware, was popular here. It is a local gourmet dish that could only have been born in Aomori.

Towada Barayaki antenna shop "Tsukasa Barayaki Shokudo"

"Tsukasa" is located in the center of Towada city, a 5-minute walk from the Towada Art Center. It is an antenna shop for the "Towada Barayaki Seminar," a citizens' group that aims to revitalize the town through Towada Barayaki. You can enjoy not only "Towada Barayaki" but also Towada gourmet food and alcohol in a food stall format.

The charm of the market is intact! Self-service seafood "Aomori Nokkedon"

Aomori's Modern Gourmet Part 4

"Aomori Nokkedon" is a style of seafood bowl where you choose fresh seafood from the fishmongers inside the market and eat it as it is on top of the bowl. You can walk around the market on foot and choose seasonal seafood that changes with the seasons. You can make your own seafood bowl to your liking. You may lose track of time because of the large variety of seafood.

The trick to choosing your ingredients is to communicate well with the staff. You may be able to get some special service depending on your negotiation. You may feel that it is difficult to communicate in Tsugaru dialect, but if you ask at the reception, they can provide an interpreter. Why not try making the best bowl of ramen through interacting with the locals?

Aomori Gyosai Center is packed with over 30 fresh fish stores

There are about 30 stores in the market, with a wide selection of freshly caught seafood. There is a rest area where you can sit and eat, and they also serve miso soup and charcoal grilled fish. If you're not good at choosing, you can leave it to the store staff. Fresh seafood arrives in the morning, so it's recommended to go early in the morning to eat.

If you enjoy it as shabu-shabu, it's delicious enough to be the "main dish." "Owani Onsen Bean Sprouts"

Aomori's Modern Gourmet Part 5

Owani Onsen bean sprouts are a native variety of bean sprouts grown using only hot spring heat and water. They grow straight up to 30cm in size and are characterized by their crunchy texture. The number of producers, which is said to have numbered several dozens at their peak, has now dwindled to six, but in recent years the number of young producers has been increasing. They are shipped mainly from Owani Town, and you can also purchase the sprouts themselves.

They are delicious as an ingredient in ramen or as a dip dish, but the producer recommends shabu-shabu. They are quickly dipped in hot water together with Owani pork and served with ponzu sauce. The crunchiness of the Owani Onsen bean sprouts, their greatest feature, and the harmony with the soft pork meat are sure to make your lips melt.

Enjoy the 800-year-old history of Owani Onsen and bean sprouts at Restaurant Hana Ringo

You can enjoy shabu-shabu at "Hana Ringo" located inside the "Owani Town Community Center Wani Come". The facility also has a direct-from-the-farm corner and a variety of hot spring facilities, and day trip bathing is also available. Why not enjoy the hot springs as well as the Owani Onsen bean sprouts?

This time, Kudo-san introduced us to the local cuisine and gourmet food of each region of Aomori. However, he said that Aomori has many more sweets and food cultures that use rare ingredients and fruits. Food is one of the greatest pleasures of traveling. There is a wealth of gourmet context in Aomori that you will hardly find anywhere else. Visiting Aomori to "discover" these things could be said to be one way to enjoy Aomori.

Photo courtesy of Aomori's Delicious Foods