EDITORIALS

Hokkaido Furusato Tax Returns: 10 returns recommended by Hokkai-do residents throughout Japan!

2021.12.23

Hokkaido

While the lineup of hometown tax returns includes specialties from all over Japan, there are many popular returns from Hokkaido as well. In particular, there are so many delicious foods unique to Hokkaido that many people are at a loss as to what to choose!

Many people may think of seafood such as salmon roe, crab, and scallops when they hear the name Hokkaido, but the locals know of other delicious foods as well. This time, with the cooperation of "Furusato Choice", we would like to introduce some of the recommended foods in Hokkaido and "returns of local products" that we know are delicious only because we are locals!

1. scallops
2. salmon roe
3. hokkaido sweets
4 . meat
5. crab
6. dairy products from Hokkaido
7. onions (Sapporo yellow)
Lucky Pierrot
9 . zangi
10. squid rice

1. scallops

When considering a Hokkaido hometown tax return, scallops are probably the first thing that comes to mind. Scallops are one of the most versatile marine products, and can be used in a variety of dishes such as sashimi, fried, baked in butter, and marinated.

In particular, the most popular Okhotsk scallops are harvested after being grown using a method called jimaki, or "ground sowing. Jimaki is a method in which scallops are raised for one year and then released into the sea, where they grow on the ocean floor for two to four years.

Because scallops swim freely at the bottom of the sea and survive and grow in a harsh environment with natural enemies such as starfish, they generally grow up strong and tough. As a result, delicious scallops with fine texture and smooth skin can be caught.

The luxurious return gift from the town of Koshimizu in Hokkaido consists of 1 kg of plump scallops that have been quick-frozen and can be enjoyed as sashimi or fried! Recommended for those who want to eat scallops to their heart's content.

Koshimizu Town, Hokkaido
1kg Hokkaido Scallops for Sashimi (Extra Grade A)

Donations of 20,000 yen or more
For more details, click here (jump to Furusato Choice website).

2. Salmon roe

Salmon roe is one of the most popular and standard sushi ingredients. It is only available from September to November, when salmon spawn, but many tax homes offer salmon roe marinated in soy sauce, so it can be eaten year-round. It can be served on rice or as a snack, and also goes well with pasta and other Western dishes.

Incidentally, "Sujiko," made from immature salmon roe, can also be found as a tax return gift from Furusato. While musuko is salty, its richness and flavor are stronger than that of salmon roe, making it a perfect match with rice.

Nemuro City in Hokkaido, where many returns of seafood are made, has a lineup of soy sauce marinated in soy sauce made with their original soy sauce. 18 packs of 100g each are large enough to store in the freezer for a long time.

Nemuro City, Hokkaido
Soy Sauce Salmon Roe 100g x 18P

Donations of 50,000 yen or more
For more details, click here (jump to Furusato Choice website).

3. Hokkaido sweets

There are many famous confectionery brands in Hokkaido, and Hokkaido products are popular nationwide with regard to raw materials for sweets such as azuki beans. If you search for tax returns from Furusato, you will find sweets that you have heard of before, such as chocolates from "ROYCE' (Royce), famous as souvenirs for business trips and vacations, and "Rokkatei" known for its Marusei butter sandwiches.

New popular confections such as the butter cheese sandwiches from Fermelatel Biei are being created one after another, so sweets should definitely be on your list of candidates when looking for gifts back from Hokkaido.

Soft-serve ice cream made with milk from cows raised freely in the cool environment of northern Hokkaido is also popular. It has been featured in various media and its taste is well known.

Toyotomi Town, Hokkaido
TOYOTOMI milk soft serve ice cream (3 kinds, 12 pieces in total)

10,000 yen donation
For more details, click here (go to Furusato Choice website).

4. Meat

In Hokkaido, where livestock farming is thriving, you can find many meat returns such as pork and beef. A wide range of pork products can be found, from brand-name products to carefully selected professional products, including a large volume of 4 kg of sliced pork. If you are familiar with Hokkaido's local delicacies, we also recommend the traditional jingisukan finished by a long-established restaurant.

One popular beef-based return gift is the "Beef Toro Flake" from Shimizu Town, Hokkaido, which won the runner-up prize in the 2018 National Gotochi Donburi Championship, thanks in part to its novelty of being frozen and served on freshly cooked rice.

Shimizu Town, Hokkaido
Tokachi Slow Food Beef Tollo Bowl Set

Donations of 13,000 yen or more
Click here for more details (you will be redirected to the Furusato Choice website).

5. Crab

Crab, which has a strong image of a luxury item, is one of the most popular tax return gifts from Hokkaido. Many people have an image of crab as being difficult to cook and eat, but if you choose a product that is cut into easy-to-cook pieces, such as shabu-shabu, you can easily enjoy the taste of crab.

Depending on the municipality, you may also be able to find products that contain only "leg meat" or "peeled meat," so those who have a particular part of the crab that they do not like can rest assured. We hope that those who have not had many opportunities to eat crab in their daily lives will taste it.

The snow crab set from the town of Suto-cho in Hokkaido is boldly processed with 900 g of snow crab legs, and can be stored frozen for 180 days from the date of manufacture and processing. If you think that crab is a hassle to cook and eat, try it for yourself.

Sutsu Town, Hokkaido
Snow crab set

Donation amount: 20,000 yen or more
For more details, click here (jump to Furusato Choice website).

6. Hokkaido dairy products

Milk from Hokkaido is often used to make sweets, and butter and cheese made from this milk are also among the most popular returned goods. One example is the premium butter from Yamanaka Farm in Akaigawa Village, Hokkaido, which has a matured flavor and richness locked in the can, and low moisture content so that it can be scooped with a butter knife right out of the refrigerator.

Cheeses made from their own raw milk are also popular, and their mild flavor is delicious either eaten as is or used in oven cooking! If you are a frequent dairy eater, why not give it a try?

Akaigawa Village, Hokkaido
Yamanaka Farm Premium Butter Set (3 cans)

Donations of 10,000 yen or more
For details, click here (go to Furusato Choice website).

Local Products of Hokkaido

In addition to nationally known specialties, there are many other local foods in Hokkaido, which are favored by the local people. Some of them are eaten all over Hokkaido, while others are basically eaten only in certain areas.

However, if you try to gather information on all of them, you will finally be at a loss as to what to recommend. Therefore, the author, who has traveled all over the province, recommends a few local products as a local resident.

7. Onions (Sapporo yellow)

Hokkaido is the largest producer of onions in Japan, and it is said that Sapporo is the birthplace of onions in Japan. Many people may have an image of Sapporo as a large city in Hokkaido, but the city also engages in agriculture, taking advantage of its vast land.

Sapporo has a traditional vegetable called "Sapporo yellow" onion. It is thicker and softer than the commonly distributed onions, and shows its full potential in stewed dishes where its sweetness comes out.

There are also return gifts with processed products made from Sapporo yellow onions so that even those who are not good at cooking can easily enjoy Sapporo yellow onions. We recommend this vegetable to those who like stewed dishes and onions.

Sapporo City's return gift also includes an assortment of processed products made from Sapporo yolk and Sapporo yolk. It is recommended for those who want to try curry or soup and see what it tastes like first.

Sapporo, Hokkaido
Sapporo Traditional Vegetable "Sapporo Yellow" Assortment of processed products made from onions and Sapporo Yellow

Donations of 10,000 yen or more
For more details, click here (jump to Furusato Choice website).

8.Lucky Clown

If you have ever visited Hakodate on vacation, you may have seen signs with a clown's face painted on them around town. If you are familiar with Hokkaido, the name "Lucky Clown" will probably come to mind.

Lucky Clown is a well-known restaurant in Hakodate and other parts of southern Hokkaido, and is a long-established fast food chain established in 1987. Its highly original menu items, such as the Chinese Chicken Burger and the Hokkaido Genghis Khan Burger, have become popular.

Souvenirs are selected as the return gift from Hakodate City in Furusato Tax, and include an assortment of ramen, curry, guarana, cookies, and more. If you are looking for a Hokkaido return gift with a difference, we hope you will consider Lucky Pierrot's return gift.

Hakodate City, Hokkaido
Lucky Pierrot Assortment Set

Donation of 10,000 yen or more
Click here for more details (you will be redirected to Furusato Choice website)

9. Zangi

In Hokkaido, "zangi" is a broad term for fried chicken. It is a menu item readily available at supermarkets, etc., but it is said that zangi has its roots in Kushiro.

Generally, zangi is made by deep frying seasoned boneless chicken thighs, but in Kushiro, you can also taste zangi with bones, and some restaurants serve zangi with mune meat and sauce, etc. Kushiro City offers such Kushiro's specialty zangi as a return gift, so it is recommended for those who love chicken meat.

For those who actually want to visit Kushiro, we recommend the all-you-can-eat zangi all-you-can-eat ticket from Nanban-tei, the originator of zangi with sweet and spicy sauce (Kushiro Town, Hokkaido). Check it out if you want to eat a full bowl of authentic zangi on your trip to Hokkaido!

Kushiro Town, Hokkaido
<Nanban Inoxication, the birthplace of zantare> All-you-can-eat zantare ticket (1 ticket)

Donation of 8,000 yen or more
Click here for more details (You will be redirected to the Furusato Choice website.)

10. Ikaimeshi (squid rice)

You can also find ikameshi, a local dish using seafood, as a return gift.
Ikameshi is a dish that was originally created to alleviate food shortages during World War II. The body of a squid, with its legs and entrails removed, is stuffed with glutinous or Uruchi rice and fastened with a toothpick, then cooked slowly in a pot with soy sauce, sugar, salt and sake.

Some squid legs (geso) are chopped into small pieces as a garnish, while others are boiled and enclosed with the legs as well. In Hakodate, Hokkaido, ikameshi is available in easy-to-eat retort packets and can be enjoyed as a snack.

Hakodate City, Hokkaido
Ikameshi (squid rice) 12-piece set

Donation of 10,000 yen or more
For more details, click here (jump to Furusato Choice website).

Conclusion

These are some of the popular tax-paying products from Hokkaido, from a local's point of view.
Hokkaido has many specialties, including seafood, but there is an abundance of other delicious food as well. Each area offers a variety of unique products such as sweets, meat, dairy products, and local specialties, so please take a look at them for yourself!

(Cooperation: Furusato Choice)

Writer Profile

TMG4

TMG4 is a writer who loves delicious and interesting food, traveling, and staying in the car. His wife, an assistant, is from Gunma Prefecture. After working on various writing projects for the online skills market "Coconala," she became a full-time writer and started her own business. He drives his own car all over Hokkaido, searching for interesting places and delicious restaurants.