You can buy Hokkaido souvenirs at the supermarket. I chose souvenirs from two major Hokkaido seasoning manufacturers.

Summary

• Bell Foods → Founded by 7 Hokkaido University graduates. Its three pillars are Ramen Soup Hanami, Nari-tare, and bottled soup curry base.

• Sorachi → Founded in Ashibetsu City as a ramune manufacturer. They sell a wide range of sauces for rice dishes like pork bowls, yakiniku like Genghis Khan, shabu-shabu, and hot pots.

In this article, I will introduce local seasonings I saw at supermarkets in Hokkaido. Just by looking at seasonings in a supermarket, you can learn about the local gourmet food of that region. If you buy them, you can enjoy the taste of local home cooking.

Bell Foods

This is one of the leading food manufacturers in Hokkaido. It was founded in Sapporo in 1947 by seven founders who graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture at Hokkaido University, driven by the desire to "spread Hokkaido's delicious food throughout the country."They manufacture seasonings unique to Hokkaido, such as Ramen Soup Hanami, soup curry base, and Genghis Khan sauce.It is.

It is especially recommended for those who want to eat Hokkaido's local cuisine at home.After returning from your trip, it is perfect forlooking back on your trip through cooking.It is.

Ramen Soup Hanami

Ramen Soup Hanamiwas the first ramen soup for home use released in Japan.

In Hokkaido, where the winters are severe and there is a lot of snowfall, there are many opportunities to make ramen at home to warm the body and save time on cooking. It is sold not only as bagged noodles but also as fresh noodles and soup alone, offering a wide variety.There are three flavors: soy sauce, miso, and salt, each in red, orange, and yellow cans so you can tell them apart at a glance.

This time, I bought the soy sauce flavor. The soy sauce flavor has the taste of old-fashioned chicken bone soy sauce ramen with lard, beef, and vegetable extract. The salt flavor can be used to make the soup that comes with set meals at local Chinese restaurants just by dissolving it in hot water. It can be used not only for soup but also for seasoning gyoza filling. It is a versatile seasoning that covers a wide range of Chinese dishes in particular.

Genghis Khan Sauce

Released in 1951 as Japan's first home-use yakiniku sauce. The orange label reminds us that it has been a staple in Hokkaido homes for a long time. It is also called "Nari-tare." "Hokkaido Shabu-Shabu Sauce Nari-tare Flavor," which combines Nari-tare with kelp stock, and lamb shabu-shabu sauce are also sold.

I could clearly feel the acidity of the vinegar while the garlic, ginger, and spices were effective. Perhaps because it has more of a distinct flavor than beef, pork, or chicken, the acidic sauce goes well with mutton.

It is useful for a wide range of dishes, not just Genghis Khan, but also stir-fried vegetables and yaki udon. It doesn't have to be mutton. It can also be used with light-tasting fish.

Soup Curry Base

A paste for 4 servings of soup curry is in a bottle. I bought the soup curry base supervised by Garaku, a popular restaurant in Sapporo. The Japanese-style dashi was prominent, and it had a rich flavor.

A regular version of soup curry is also sold. You can choose from four levels of spiciness: mild, sweet, normal (medium hot), and hot.

I also bought the premium version, which adds the rich umami of shrimp and chicken. Along with basil, the flavors of shrimp and chicken spread. The spiciness spreads slowly. However, the umami spread to the forefront.

Sorachi

Sorachi was founded in 1951 in Ashibetsu City as a ramune (soda) manufacturer. It grew through two main pillars: sauces and beverages. Today, it sells a wide variety of sauces for various uses, including yakitori, shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, yakiniku, and horumon.

Sorachi also operates restaurants. It manages a pork bowl (butadon) restaurant called "Tokachi Butadon Ippin" in Obihiro and Sapporo. It also manages a Genghis Khan (mutton barbecue) restaurant called "Jingisukan Daikokuya" in Asahikawa and Sapporo.

Genghis Khan

The Genghis Khan sauce has been sold since the company's founding. It uses plenty of vegetables, fruits, and spices, and pairs well with mutton. There are four types of Genghis Khan sauce alone, including a raw lamb type, a miso flavor, and a special selection. The sauce for raw lamb uses the rich aromas of lemon, apple, and pear, along with the depth of red wine, to suppress the unique gamey flavor of mutton.

Compared to Bell Foods' Genghis Khan sauce, it was richer. It felt deeper in sweetness, spiciness, and body.

Like the Genghis Khan sauce, it is perfect not only for yakiniku but also for stir-fried vegetables and yaki-udon.

Pork Bowl Sauce

The pork bowl sauce is one of their signature products. It has been sold since 1971. You can eat a pork bowl at home that tastes like the ones you would eat in Obihiro City. It comes in a wide variety of options, not just in bottles but also in plastic containers, and in flavors like miso and green onion salt.

Simply cut pork loin into bite-sized pieces, fry it in a pan, and coat it with the sauce to finish. The sweet and savory soy sauce-based sauce makes it a dish that goes well with rice. By browning the meat well, you can get closer to the authentic taste. It brings back memories of the pork bowl I ate in Obihiro.

The soy-colored sauce is useful not only for pork bowls but also for dipping grilled mochi or for simmered fish.

Soup Curry Base

The boxed type has a package design that evokes a traditional curry. It utilizes five types of dashi—vegetables, kombu, bonito, chicken, and pork—and the spiciness is kept to a medium level. You can add more spice later. Making a soup curry with plenty of ingredients like bone-in chicken and vegetables will further enhance the flavor. It is also perfect for curry hot pot and curry udon.

A nice feature is that it is portioned into single servings. When eating alone, you can explore a new world of soup curry. I plan to post the results of my exploration on July 22nd, Soup Curry Day.

This time, I talked about Hokkaido's two major seasoning manufacturers. I hope this will be helpful as a reference for souvenirs when you visit Hokkaido.

For those who cannot easily go to Hokkaido, you can also find them at local product exhibitions and antenna shops.

References

• Yoshimi Sugawara, (2024), Encyclopedia of Japanese Local Side Dishes, Tatsumi Publishing