Tsugaru Region

Aoi Mori Cuisine Area

Hiranai Hotate Gozen

The town of Hiranai, located east of Aomori city, is hotate (sea scallop) farming. The Hiranai Hotate Gozen is an exhaustive assortment of sea scallop dishes. Starting with sashimi, the meal also includes hotate steak, hotate sushi, hotate soup, and hotate ice cream. It is a one-and-only meal found exclusively at the source.
Sea Scallops

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Aomori Kaido Soba

Soba, or buckwheat, is locally produced in the area between Aomori city and Higashitsugaru district (Hiranai, Imabetsu, Yomogita, Sotogahama). With the sole purpose of local consumption, the soba is grown organically and sustainably without the use of pesticides.

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Nokke-don

Nokke-don is a specialty rice bowl that can be found in the Aomori Gyosai Center (Furukawa Fish Market), one of the main markets for Aomori residents. After purchasing rice in a bowl, customers can customize their Nokke-don with their favorite toppings such as sashimi, meat, and other local dishes within the market.
Fish
Shellfish, Seaweed, and Other Seafood

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Aomori Ginger Miso Oden

This Aomori specialty combines the traditional one-pot dish, oden, with a fragrant ginger and miso sauce. The mix of ginger and miso makes this oden a perfect dish to warm up against the bitter cold winter of Aomori.

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Miso Curry Milk Ramen

A ramen born from a student’s inspiration, the Miso Curry Milk Ramen uses a miso-based soup with curry powder and milk. Toppings include butter, bean sprouts, fermented bamboo shoots, and wakame. It has now become a comfort food to the people of Aomori city.
Wakame

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Mt. Iwaki Culinary Area

Apple Pie from the Apple Town

Hirosaki city of Aomori is the largest producer of apples in Japan. The acclaimed apple pies loaded with local Jonathan and Fuji apples are available for purchase in over 40 stores across the city.
Apples

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Owani Onsen Moyashi Ramen

Owani Onsen moyashi (bean sprouts) have a 350-year old history of cultivation exclusively using the water and heat from the Owani hot spring. The local ramen, Owani Onsen Moyashi Ramen, is topped with the crunchy sprouts, and is quite addictive.
Owani Onsen Bean Sprouts

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Hirosaki Iga Menchi

Hirosaki Iga Menchi is a country-style dish in which chopped squid tentacles and seasonal vegetables are mixed with flour and fried in oil. It is a traditional home cooked dish that has been passed down through generations.
Squid
Vegetables

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Kuroishi Tsuyu Yakisoba

Kuroishi Tsuyu Yakisoba combines the traditional Kuroishi Yakisoba with a warming broth. The traditional Kuroishi Yakisoba uses thick, flat, mochi-textured noodles seasoned with Worcestershire sauce, which is then covered in broth, tempura bits, and green onion to make the Kuroishi Tsuyu Yakisoba.

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Kenoshiru

Kenoshiru is a simple country style soup filled with a variety of ingredients; vegetables such as daikon, carrots, and burdock roots; mountain vegetables such as fuki (Japanese butterbur), warabi (bracken shoots), and zenmai (fiddlehead fern); and deep-fried tofu or dried tofu. The ingredients are chopped finely, stewed, and seasoned with miso.
Kenoshiru
Gobo
Daikon
Carrots
Sansai

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Kuroishi Specialty - Yosare Nabe

The Kuroishi Specialty Yosare Nabe (hot pot) features local poultry and vegetables cooked in an iron hot pot with a divider. Two types of seasoning can be chosen out of the four options; salt, ponzu vinegar, soy sauce, or a dipping sauce.
Chicken
Vegetables

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Hirosaki Tonkara-yaki

Hirosaki Tonkara-yaki is a local specialty made using local ingredients. A special sauce is made with Tsugaru miso local to the Tsugaru region, apples, and the local spicy pepper Shimizu Nanba. Tsugaru pork, raised in the rich environment of the Tsugaru region, is marinated in the sauce and cooked to perfection.
Shimizumori Namba
Pork

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Okutsugaru Culinary Area

Nakadomari Mebaru Sashimi and Nitsuke Gozen

This specialty meal highlights Tsugaru Kaikyo Mebaru (goldeye rockfish). The meal features a whole-fish sashimi and nitsuke, a dish with fish cooked in soy sauce.
Rockfish

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Geki Uma Kanagi Curry

The town of Kanagi in Goshogawara has long been a producer of horse meat. Playing with the words “geki uma,” or extremely delicious, and “uma,” or horse, this is a savory spicy curry served with a side of takana (mustard leaf pickles).
Horse Meat

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Jusanko Shijimi Clam Ramen

This specialty ramen uses the freshwater clam, or shijimi, caught in the Lake Jusanko. The clam extract deepens the flavor of the salt-flavored soup and it is served with a generous number of clams for topping as well.
Shijimi Freshwater Clam

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Gosho Sampo Soup

This country-style soup uses 13 local ingredients such as Tsukune yam, mushroom, bamboo shoot, and dried tofu. It is a low-calorie healthy dish full of umami.
Sansai

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Ajigasawa Hirame Zuke-don

Fresh locally sourced hirame (flounder) is marinated in a special sauce, and laid generously over white rice. Each local establishment has its original flavored zuke-don.
Flounder

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Ajigawasa Ito

Ito (Japanese huchen) is a rare fresh-water fish found in Ajigasawa. The Ajigasawa Ito is lighter in flavor than salmon, often referred to as the toro of the river. It is a versatile fish, served as sashimi, baked with miso, and marinated.

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Goshogawara Lake Jusanko Shijimi Yakisoba

This specialty yakisoba uses shijimi (freshwater clam) from Lake Jusanko, and noodles made from Tsugaru Roman rice flour. The flavorful and crispy noodles added to the umami-filled shijimi soup makes this dish simply superb!
Shijimi Freshwater Clam

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

Fukaura Tuna Steak-don

Though Oma Tuna is undeniably the most famous tuna in Aomori, the town of Fukaura holds the highest tuna catch in Aomori. Fukaura bluefin tuna is used lavishly in three different rice bowls with sashimi, one-sided, and double-sided grill.
Tuna

Where to find:

* Please note multilingual services may not be available at some establishments.

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