7 Must-Try Local Cuisine from Hokuriku Region

In Fukui's fishing ports, male snow crabs that meet specific criteria are marketed under the "Echizen Crab" brand. You’ll know when you’ve spotted it by the yellow tag used to mark each crab. Fukui is teeming with bountiful fishing grounds that support its ongoing history in crab fishing and remarkable, quality catch.

With its intense color and memorable name, Toyama Black is a local ramen born in the heart of Toyama city. It’s made with a dark black soy sauce broth that’s infused with black pepper for an extra kick of spice. This bowl was originally made as a salty snack to pair with rice, but its rich taste remains a hallmark to this day.

With the onset of winter in Toyama Bay comes the season for yellowtail. This is the prime season for Kanburi, a winter variety of yellowtail that comes highly prized. One way to enjoy this ingredient is as Buri Shabu, a hot pot delight where slices of fresh buri sashimi are lightly fanned through kombu broth and dipped in ponzu to eat. Each bite is only lightly cooked on the surface, which makes any excess fat almost melt away for a taste that’s truly irresistible.

Kanazawa Oden incorporates ingredients that have ties to Kanazawa. Local catches like "bai clam," soft fish cake-like "fukashi" made from boiled fish paste, and wheel-shaped "kuruma-fu" are among the unique local ingredients that you won't easily find elsewhere. To top it all off, this dish is extra special as its available throughout the year.

Hegi Soba is a local noodle dish originating from the Uonuma region. The soba is neatly rolled into bite-sized portions and placed in a rectangular vessel called "Hegi." The noodles themselves are blended with a special “funori” seaweed, giving them a slurpity smooth but wonderfully chewy texture. The noodles are then topped with karashi mustard, in addition to the classic toppings of green onions for even more local flair.

Wappameshi is a dish where rice is placed inside a “wappa”, a container made of bent cedar sheets, and then topped with seasonal ingredients. The rice itself is lightly seasoned before taking on tasty heaps of bites like salmon or salmon roe. The entire wappa is steamed to serve, meaning the rice and toppings retain their delicious, individual flavors.

Katsudon in Fukui Prefecture often means Sauce Katsudon, a popular local dish. Unlike the classic katsudon that’s dredged in egg, the seasoning on these tasty bowls is based on Worcestershire sauce. It may look like a simple bowl of thin-sliced pork cutlet over rice, but bite in to reveal the deep flavor of irresistible sauce. Different shops across the prefecture give this sauce their own unique spin, meaning there’s always something new to enjoy.