VISIT KANAZAWA, JAPAN - Official Travel Guide

Kanazawa oden is known for its gentle, savory broth, which draws out the natural umami of ingredients such as kombu (kelp) and dried fish flakes. Each restaurant has its own approach to preparing and seasoning the broth, giving every establishment a distinctive flavor.

Some restaurants also use locally produced seasonings, such as Ōno soy sauce from Kanazawa and salt from the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. These local ingredients add another dimension to the dish. One of the pleasures of trying Kanazawa oden is discovering how the flavors differ from one restaurant to another.

"Kani-men" is a seasonal winter delicacy made with female snow crab, known in Ishikawa Prefecture as kōbako-gani. It is traditionally served with the crab’s meat, rich crab innards, and roe arranged inside its shell.

The fishing season for kōbako-gani generally runs from November 6 to December 29. However, the period when kani-men is available, as well as how it is prepared, varies by restaurant. We recommend checking availability before your visit.

Appearance: The crab’s shell is filled with its meat and rich innards, along with orange-colored internal roe and small, brownish eggs carried beneath the female crab’s body.

Ingredients: Crab meat, crab innards, uchiko (the female crab’s internal roe, including its ovaries), and sotoko (the eggs attached beneath the female crab’s body).

Taste and texture: The sweet crab meat is complemented by the rich, concentrated flavor of the internal roe and the distinctive pop of the external eggs. The combination of flavors and textures makes kani-men a memorable winter dish.

"Akamaki" is a fish cake familiar throughout the Hokuriku region of central Japan. It is also used in osechi, the traditional assortment of foods eaten during the Japanese New Year.

Akamaki can be enjoyed on its own, but it is especially delicious in oden, where it absorbs the hot, savory broth.

Appearance: Its red-and-white spiral pattern adds a splash of color to the pot. It may be served in thick slices or on a skewer.

Ingredients: It is made by layering red-colored fish paste over white fish paste, rolling the layers together, and steaming the result.

Taste and texture: Akamaki has a pleasantly springy, slightly chewy texture and absorbs the flavors of the broth.

Appearance: "Fukashi" is usually flat and comes in white or pink.

Ingredients: It is a type of steamed fish cake made from fish paste. Its appearance is somewhat similar to hanpen, another Japanese fish cake.

Taste and texture: Fukashi is softer than many traditional kamaboko fish cakes, yet has a springier, chewier texture than hanpen. As it absorbs the broth, each bite releases a burst of savory flavor.

"Bai-gai", a type of sea snail, is a popular ingredient at sushi restaurants and oden shops in Kanazawa. It is prized for its firm, crunchy texture and the savory flavor that develops as you chew. In oden, it is enjoyed together with the broth, which takes on some of the shellfish’s rich flavor. The exact species used may vary depending on the restaurant and its suppliers.

Appearance: Bai-gai can resemble tsubu-gai, another type of sea snail. Bai-gai generally has a smoother shell, while tsubu-gai often has a more uneven, ridged surface.

Ingredients: Bai-gai is a marine snail found in the Sea of Japan. In Kanazawa, it is also enjoyed as sashimi or simmered in seasoned broth.

Taste and texture: It has a firm, crunchy texture, a distinctive sweetness, and rich-tasting innards. Traditionally, diners use a toothpick to remove the meat and innards from the shell. After eating the meat, some also enjoy sipping the flavorful broth collected inside the shell.

"Kuruma-fu" is one of the signature ingredients found in Kanazawa oden.

Appearance: It is a large, round, ring-shaped cake with a hole in the center, rather like a doughnut.

Ingredients: Kuruma-fu is a type of fu, a traditional Japanese food made using gluten, the protein extracted from wheat flour.

Taste and texture: It absorbs plenty of broth, becoming soft and tender. As it simmers with the other ingredients, it takes in their flavors, creating a satisfying, savory taste.

Appearance: "Gensuke daikon" is a thick, short, cylindrical variety of Japanese white radish.

Ingredients: It is one of the traditional vegetables of Kanazawa and belongs to the group known as Kaga vegetables, a collection of locally valued traditional varieties associated with the former Kaga region.

Taste and texture: Gensuke daikon has tender flesh and a naturally sweet flavor. It is particularly well suited to simmered dishes. In oden, it becomes soft and absorbs the savory broth.

Availability: The approximate shipping season is from mid-October to February.

When people think of ”shungiku" (edible chrysanthemum greens), they may imagine its distinctive, slightly bitter flavor. Kanazawa shungiku, however, has less deeply cut leaves, a thicker and more tender texture, and a milder aroma than many common varieties.

It can be enjoyed raw in salads, but when added to oden, its tender leaves pair beautifully with the savory broth. This is another local Kaga vegetable worth trying when it is in season.

Appearance: Compared with many common varieties of shungiku, Kanazawa shungiku has broader, thicker leaves with shallower indentations along the edges.

Ingredients: It is a traditional vegetable of Kanazawa and one of the Kaga vegetables.

Taste and texture: Its leaves are tender and its aroma is mild. When added to oden toward the end of cooking and briefly heated, it retains its delicate texture and flavor.

Availability: The approximate shipping season is from October to April.

Some long-established oden restaurants serve "chameshi", a seasoned rice dish that can be enjoyed alongside oden or as the final part of a meal.

"Chameshi" can be prepared using Japanese tea, soy sauce, broth, or a combination of these ingredients. Recipes and preparation methods vary by restaurant. Try it with oden to discover which combinations you enjoy most.

It is often prepared by cooking pork belly on skewers, either by steaming or boiling it, and coating it generously with white miso. However, seasoning and preparation methods vary from one restaurant to another. Trying it at different establishments is a great way to discover your favorite version.

Oden, which uses ingredients unique to Kanazawa, is served at many izakayas in the city, including long-established oden restaurants. The ingredients and broth vary from restauran to restaurant, from those that continue to preserve the traditional taste to those that offer a diverse menu with a modern twist on traditional oden culture. If you visit Kanazawa, be sure to stop by.