The Secret Flavor of Kanazawa: A Journey into Fermentation
When people think of Kanazawa, many imagine its beautiful samurai-era townscape, seasonal scenery, and the legacy of the wealthy Kaga Domain. But Kanazawa’s real charm goes beyond its architecture and history—it lies in its rich food culture, nurtured over centuries.
At the heart of this food culture is fermentation. While soy sauce, miso, and sake are common across Japan, Kanazawa has developed a range of unique fermented foods that reflect its local climate, trade history, and creativity.
Here, we’ll explore the fascinating world of Kanazawa’s fermentation culture.
▶Famous Fermented Foods of Kanazawa
1. Ono Soy Sauce
The Ono district of Kanazawa is known as one of Japan’s five major soy sauce–producing areas. This soy sauce is carefully brewed with soybeans and wheat, resulting in a mellow, slightly sweet flavor that is smoother than the darker Kanto(Eastern Japan area) soy sauce and richer than the lighter Kansai(Western Japan area) soy sauce. It pairs perfectly with seafood.
2. Kaga Miso (fermented soybean paste)
Most miso in Japan is rice miso (made from rice malt, soybeans, and salt), and Kanazawa’s version, known as Kaga Miso, uses an especially high amount of rice malt. This makes it thick, rich, and deeply flavorful. During the Edo period, it was even produced as a preserved food for the samurai army.
3. Kabura-zushi (Turnip Sushi)
Despite the word “sushi,” this is not made with rice and fish. Instead, it’s a winter specialty where slices of turnip are filled with yellowtail (buri) and pickled in rice malt (koji). The result is a sweet-and-savory fermented dish that has become an essential winter taste of Kanazawa.
(Supplement: This is a local delicacy available only in winter, quite different from the raw-fish sushi most visitors know.)
4. Pufferfish Roe Pickled in Rice Bran (Fugu no Ko Nukazuke)
Normally, the roe of the fugu (pufferfish) is poisonous. However, in Kanazawa, a unique process—pickling the roe in rice bran for over two years—renders it safe to eat. The result is a rare and powerful delicacy, often enjoyed as a sake appetizer.
5. Japanese Sake & Shochu
Kanazawa and the greater Kaga region are famous for sake. Brands such as Kikuhime, Tedorigawa, and Kagatobi are highly regarded both in Japan and abroad. Some breweries, such as Fukumitsuya, also craft premium rice shochu (a distilled spirit), using sake as a base.
6. Fermented Sweet Bean Paste (Hakkō-an)
Kanazawa is sometimes called “the capital of Japanese sweets”, as it has the highest household consumption of traditional sweets in Japan. The long-established confectionery Koshiyama Kanseido creates wagashi (Japanese sweets) using fermented adzuki beans, which allow them to cut sugar content in half while maintaining natural sweetness. The result is both delicious and healthier, rich in polyphenols.
7. Craft Beer
Kanazawa is home to several craft breweries. For example:
Oriental Brewing produces beers using local ingredients, such as Yuwaku Yuzu Ale and Kaga Bōcha Stout (a roasted green tea beer).
Kanazawa Brewery cultivates its own yeast for its signature Kanazawa Beer.
Brew Classic, opened near Kanazawa Port in 2021, won a gold prize with its very first IPA. Visitors can taste beers fresh at their taproom.
8. Kanazawa Wine
Though more famous for sake, Kanazawa has also begun producing quality wine. Wineries like Vin de la Bocchi (using only locally grown grapes) and Kanazawa Winery (using 100% grapes from their Noto Peninsula vineyard) are leading the way.
▶Why Fermentation Thrives in Kanazawa
The reason Kanazawa is famous for its fermented foods lies in its natural environment and long history.
Flourishing as a castle town of the Kaga Domain, Kanazawa developed a unique food culture and specialized culinary techniques typical of such towns.
Several key factors contributed to the city’s thriving tradition of fermentation.
1: The Wealthy Kaga Domain
During the 16th–19th centuries, the Maeda clan ruled one of the wealthiest feudal domains in Japan. Fermented foods such as miso and soy sauce were vital for food preservation and became highly developed.
2:Kitamaebune Shipping Routes
Kanazawa prospered as a port for Kitamaebune trading ships, which brought new ingredients and techniques from across Japan. This allowed fermentation culture to flourish.
3:Rich Natural Environment
Facing the Sea of Japan and backed by mountains, Kanazawa has fresh seafood, quality rice, vegetables, and pure water from Mt. Hakusan—perfect conditions for fermentation.
4:Climate
Cold, humid winters create an ideal environment for slow, flavorful fermentation.
▶Where to Experience Fermentation in Kanazawa
・Shijimaya-Honpo: Famous for kabura-zushi. Offers seasonal pickling workshops (reservation required).
・Takagi Koji Shop: Kanazawa’s only specialized koji store, located in Higashi Chaya District.
・Yamato Koji Park: A fermentation theme park where visitors can tour a real koji cellar, taste miso and soy sauce, and even try “koji hand baths.”
・Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery: Established in 1625, offers guided tours and tastings.
・Yachiya Brewery: Founded in 1628, once served sake exclusively to feudal lords. Offers daily tours (reservation required).
・Omicho Market: Kanazawa’s lively food market, with seafood and fermented delicacies.
・Oriental Brewing: Brewery and distillery offering craft beer, gin, and whisky tours.
Seasonal Highlight: Kabura-zushi Making Workshop
At Shijimaya-Honpo, a historic shop founded in 1875, visitors can join a hands-on workshop to make kabura-zushi in winter (November, January–March). Participants learn the tradition, prepare their own pickled turnip-and-yellowtail sushi, and take it home as a souvenir.
