Hokkaido, Japan — named after the Ishikari River; developed in the Meiji era (1868 onwards) as Hokkaido's dairy industry expanded and butter became regionally available
Ishikari nabe is Hokkaido's signature hotpot dish, named after the Ishikari River—Japan's third-longest and one of the most productive salmon rivers in the country. The dish centres on salmon (particularly the sacredness of fresh Hokkaido wild salmon with its deep orange flesh and high fat content) simmered in a miso-based broth with vegetables including daikon, hakusai cabbage, tofu, konnyaku, and burdock. What makes Ishikari nabe distinctive within Japanese regional hotpot culture is the optional—and authentically Hokkaido—addition of butter and milk or cream at the end of the simmering process. This dairy integration reflects Hokkaido's agricultural history as Japan's primary dairy region (home to Yotsuba, Megmilk, and Niseko cheese enterprises), where Western-influenced dairy production was introduced in the Meiji era as part of the colonisation and agricultural development of the island. The resulting miso broth enriched with butter and dairy creates a fusion of washoku and Hokkaido's yōshoku (Western-influenced) tradition that is as culturally specific as any traditional regional dish. Ishikari nabe is typically served in donabe clay pots at the table, with salmon pieces added midway through service to prevent overcooking. The salmon head and collar bones are often included to produce a gelatinous, rich broth base.
Rich, savoury miso base; salmon fat enriches the broth; butter adds round dairy richness; daikon and cabbage provide clean vegetal notes; the overall effect is warming, complex, deeply satisfying
{"Salmon selection: use fresh Hokkaido wild or premium farmed salmon with high fat content; salmon head and collar add gelatin and depth to the base broth","Miso base: white or awase miso (not too dark or it overwhelms the salmon); dashi-based broth with miso dissolved in the final stage rather than cooked from the start","Vegetable pre-cooking: root vegetables (daikon, burdock) are added earliest and simmered 15–20 minutes; salmon is added in the final 5–7 minutes to prevent overcooking","Butter finish: a knob (20–30g) of Hokkaido butter stirred in at the final minute creates a richness that softens the miso's saltiness and adds regional identity","Salmon skin management: leave skin on salmon pieces for the broth—skin fat enriches the liquid; boneless fillets can be added for table service but bone-in pieces build better broth","Donabe service: the clay pot retains heat for extended tableside eating; add components in staggered waves rather than all at once to manage cooking stages"}
{"Salmon head broth: simmer cleaned salmon head (split) in water with kombu for 20 minutes before adding vegetables—this dashi-from-head technique creates an incomparably rich base","Hokkaido corn (tōmorokoshi) as a seasonal addition: Hokkaido corn cut into rounds is a regional addition that adds sweetness and visual colour to the pot in summer-autumn","The butter finale: use cultured Hokkaido butter (Yotsuba or similar) rather than commercial unsalted—the culture character adds a faint tang that deepens the miso","A small pour of heavy cream added with the butter creates an even richer variation—considered indulgent but authentic to the Hokkaido dairy culture","Finishing rice: at the end of the meal, add cooked rice and egg to the remaining broth for zōsui (rice porridge)—the miso-butter salmon broth makes an extraordinary porridge base"}
{"Adding salmon at the start—it becomes dry and flavourless in 20 minutes of simmering; salmon goes in within the last 5–7 minutes","Using farmed Atlantic salmon without checking fat content—thin-flavoured farmed salmon produces a flat broth; Hokkaido wild or high-fat coho is essential for correct flavour","Dissolving miso at the start and boiling it throughout—prolonged high-heat miso loses its aromatic character; dissolve off heat or in barely simmering liquid in the final stage","Omitting the butter when serving to authentic standards—the butter and dairy finish is not optional garnish but a defining regional characteristic","Over-salting before the butter addition—butter intensifies perceived saltiness; season conservatively before the butter, adjust after"}
Japanese Regional Cooking — Yoshii Nobuko; Hokkaido Food Culture — Sapporo Agricultural Research Institute