VISIT KANAZAWA, JAPAN - Official Travel Guide

Kanazawa oden dashi broth has a distinctive flavor and deep taste. The broth is mainly made from kombu (kelp), dried bonito flakes, and is characterized by its subtly sweet and gentle flavor. In particular, the use of Ono soy sauce from Kanazawa adds just the right amount of sweetness and richness to the dashi, enhancing its elegant flavor. This dashi broth absorbs the flavor of the ingredients and provides a gentle taste that is easy to drink.

<Depending on the area: General differences in dashi broth>

【Eastern Japan oden soup stock】 Uses dark soy sauce and is characterized by its strong flavor.

【Western Japan oden soup stock】 Light soy sauce is used, and the soup stock made from kombu (kelp) and dried bonito flakes is used to create a light flavor.

【Kanazawa oden soup stock】 Rich flavor using Ono soy sauce.

【Appearance】A female snow crab ("Koubako gani" called in Kanazawa) with crab meat, orange inner roe (immature roe) and brown grainy outer roe (mature roe) inside the shell.

【Ingredients】Crab meat, crab innards, immature roe, and mature roe.

【Texture】The sweet flesh and inner part have a rich, creamy flavor, while the outer flesh has a popping, petite texture. Together, they create a contrast of different textures in the mouth.

It is a familiar fish paste in the Hokuriku region and is also used in Osechi(New Year's) cuisine. It is delicious eaten as it is, but the akamaki is exceptional when it absorbs the broth of hot oden.

【Appearance】The red and white swirl pattern adds color to oden. Hot slices are sometimes placed in the bowl as they are, while other times they are served on skewers.

【Ingredients】It is made from fish paste, mixed with a special red seasoning.

【Texture】The main ingredient used is white fish, which gives the dish a sticky texture. It is a perfect match with soup stock, and when simmered, it absorbs the flavor of the soup stock, allowing you to enjoy a deeper taste.

【Appearance】 White and flat in appearance, it resembles hanpen. 

【Ingredients】 A paste made by steaming minced fish. It looks similar to hanpen, but hanpen is fried not steamed. That's because it's steamed, it easily absorbs soup stock.

【Texture】 The texture is similar to fish paste and is characterized by its firmness. When it absorbs the broth, a soft and delicious flavor spreads in the mouth.

【Appearance】The shell has a distinct conical shape that resembles a traditional jar, and its surface is smooth.(Although "tsubogai - jar shell" is similar in appearance to baigai, tubogai has an uneven, rugged shell). 

【Ingredients】It is a popular food in Kanazawa and is often sold at fresh fish stores and sushi restaurants. Common ways to eat them include sashimi, simmered in soy sauce with the shell in a jar, and oden. 

【Texture】The crunchy texture and unique sweetness are the characteristics of this shellfish, and its plump texture and rich liver are loved by many people. When eating, remove even the liver with a toothpick and drink the broth collected in the shell after tasting the meat to enjoy the rich flavor. It goes well with the refreshing broth of oden.

Baigai is also known as a good luck charm, and is valued at celebratory occasions because of its association with the phrase “double the good fortune".

【Appearance】 It has a large round shape and a hole in the middle like a doughnut. "kuruma" means wheel and "fu" means food made from gluten and wheat flour.

【Ingredients】 Made from gluten and wheat flour (strong flour).

【Texture】 It absorbs a lot of broth and has a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. The fu is cooked together with the other ingredients and absorbs their flavour, deepening the overall taste.

【Appearance】Cylindrical, with a thick body.

【Ingredients】A traditional vegetable representative of Kanazawa City and one of the Kaga Vegetables .

【Texture】Characterised by its soft flesh and sweetness . When eaten raw, it is fresh and slightly sweet, but as it does not easily fall apart and absorbs broth well, its sweetness increases when stewed, giving it a plump texture and bringing out its rich flavour. 

Some long-established oden restaurants have "chameshi(literally brown rice)" on the menu, which is enjoyed with oden or as a finale.

"Chameshi" is rice cooked in Japanese tea or soup stock and is often served as an accompaniment to Kanazawa oden.

Kanazawa oden soup stock and "chameshi" go well together. The flavour of the dashi broth soaks into the "chameshi" and gives it a robust taste. The aroma of the "chameshi" also enhances the flavour of the oden.

Doteyaki is a dish served at some oden specialities, mainly consisting of pork belly skewered, steamed and often served with a generous amount of white miso paste. This dish is often made with white miso. Each restaurant uses a different seasoning, so it's fun to browse around and find your own favourites.

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.