Jibuni nabe (Photo: pelican / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Jibuni nabe (Photo: pelican / CC BY-SA 2.0)
- 2 min read

Regional Cuisine - Ishikawa

A taste of some of the local foods of Ishikawa

Overview

Bordering the Japan Sea, Ishikawa is naturally famous for its quality seafood and the exoticism of its local foods. Yellowtail and the poisonous pufferfish, for example, are prepared using truly unique methods of fermentation. However, it may come as a surprise to many that non-seafood dishes are also very popular like the prefecture's unique take on curry and a winter hotpot dish that relies on fatty duck. Here is a simple guide to some of the regional cuisine of Ishikawa.

Kaburazushi

Ishikawa's kaburazushi is a proper speciality, unknown to most people. A unique dish, kaburazushi sees salted yellowtail fish - and sometimes mackerel - wedged between pieces of pickled turnips and then packed full of koji starter stock for several days leading to a unique umami-imbued flavour.

Kabura zushi
Kabura zushi (Photo: Ttaakkaco / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Kanazawa curry

If Japanese curry is a hit then Ishikawa's Kanazawa curry must be a smash. Famous for a thickly rich brown sauce with a sweet caramel flavour to it, Kanazawa curry is served with deep-fried pork cutlet and shredded cabbage. Completely covering the included rice, the sauce is so thick that many people feel they can eat it with a fork.

Kanazawa curry
Kanazawa curry (Photo: whity / CC BY 2.0)

Jibuni nabe

A traditional Ishikawa dish, jibuni nabe is a hotpot of battered duck, steamed then added to a bonito or soy broth complete with regional vegetables. This savoury dish is one of real depth and is best served in the colder winter months when the Ishikawa's duck meat is fatty and full of flavour.

Kamo jibuni nabe
Kamo jibuni nabe (Photo: Tomoaki INABA / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Fugu nukazuke

One of the nation's most curious dishes, Ishikawa's fugu nukazuke are the fermented ovaries of the poisonous fugu puffer. A licence is required to prepare this dish which sees the fugu ovaries pickled in salt and then rice malt. This process detoxifies the poison and takes around three years to work. The resulting flavour not only salty but very rich.

Fugu nukazuke
Fugu nukazuke (Photo: Ryosuke Hosoi / CC BY 2.0)
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Elizabeth S 4 years ago
Kaburazushi is a wonderful combination of textures and flavors. My Ishikawa resident friends treated me to their homemade version. Another treat was mochi with azuki beans in the cakes.
Sleiman Azizi Author 4 years ago
Homemade would be divine.
Sherilyn Siy 4 years ago
That curry looks like something I would want to eat when I'm starving.
Sleiman Azizi Author 4 years ago
Just when you are starving?
Sander van Werkhoven 4 years ago
Fugu nukazuke sounds like something to die for ;-)

It's probably no surprise that fugu nukazuke and kaburazushi are the weirdest and therefore the ones I'm most interested in, but that curry and nabe look pretty darn good too.
Sleiman Azizi Author 4 years ago
Ah, the great final banquet of 1710, lol.
Elena Lisina 4 years ago
Too big choice... :)
Sleiman Azizi Author 4 years ago
Only four, lol
Kim 4 years ago
That curry looks goooooood.
Sleiman Azizi Author 4 years ago
Oh god it does, doesn't it. I've had plenty of Japanese curry but never Kanazawa curry. They say the sauce is so thick you can eat it with a fork!
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