Beyond the ski fields, Hokkaido is heaven for food lovers

Ski fields and hot springs are only two courses of the extensive and diverse menu that Hokkaido offers up to visitors.

Drive an hour in any direction from Hokkaido’s capital, Sapporo, and you’ll find yourself in the agricultural region of Japan’s second-largest island. Wildflowers grow along the roadsides and fields of buckwheat, corn, rice, soya beans, vegetables, strawberries, plums, cherries and apples stretch out like a coloured patchwork tablecloth over the volcanic soil of the region. Vineyards, too, are integral to the landscape.

I’m here in autumn, known by locals as “the season of the pumpkins”, and I’ve discovered that the ski fields and hot springs are only two courses of the extensive and diverse menu that Hokkaido offers up to visitors.

Wine and whisky

Known for sake and whisky, Hokkaido also has a climate that’s ideal for cultivating grapes. The wine scene is rapidly evolving as Japanese producers embrace the cool climate and plant European varieties that are turning wine lovers’ heads. Maoi Distillery has sweeping views over the Ishikari Plain from the tasting room for whisky, brandy and remarkable wine. Of note is the orange wine, aka skin-contact white wine.

Because the Ishikari Plain was once under water, the soil still has salty elements. Winery director at Housui Winery in Iwamizawa, Mikio Sugiyama, says “the wine tastes a bit like the ocean”. We try a 2022 bacchus wine to test his claim. Made by hand, it’s dry with notes of peach and pear. We also taste wines made from chardonnay and lemberger grapes, but it is a drop made from the aromatic kerner (a German white grape) that really enchants us.

At Japan’s famous Nikka Whisky distillery in Yoichi they say that “whisky is nurtured by beautiful nature”.

At Japan’s famous Nikka Whisky distillery in Yoichi they say that “whisky is nurtured by beautiful nature” and the subtle peaty smokiness and smooth notes of apple in the drams we taste suggest the Hokkaido landscapes have also significantly influenced the spirits crafted here.

At Kobayashi Sake Brewery we learn some history of sake rice wine. Exchanged at weddings and offered to shrines, it pairs perfectly with sashimi and other traditional Japanese cuisine. The sugidama, an enormous ball made from cedar leaves, hangs above the foyer. This traditional decoration is like a calendar for the sake maker. When the leaves dry and change colour from green to brown, the sake is ready to drink.

A must-do in Hokkaido is Yoichi Loop, a restaurant that feels like the barrel room in an upmarket winery. Picture: Danielle Norton.

Elegant dining

A must-do in Hokkaido is Yoichi Loop, a restaurant that, with its considered use of low lighting and industrial materials, feels like the barrel room in an upmarket winery. Chef Isamu Niki complements the dining experience with passionate descriptions of the intricate dishes being served as the sommelier expounds on the wine. We savour lightly smoked yellowtail paired with a brut sparkling from local winery Field of Dreams, melt-in-the-mouth sashimi herring with the aforementioned kerner wine, and a crab and garlic paella.

After exploring the summer home (now a museum) built by the Aoyama family of herring tycoons in Otaru, we have a traditional meal at the restaurant. Gazing at ocean views from the fifth floor, we feast on a set menu of 10 dishes. Set before us are tiny plates and bowls artfully laid with tempura vegetables,pickles, sashimi and miso soup. The house specialty is herring with soba noodles in rich sweet soy and mirin sauce but the real hit is yodofu, tofu simmered in wooden barrels at the table.

Back in the city, we visit Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium’s French restaurant, Nouvelle Pousse. Picture: Danielle Norton.

City lights

Back in the city, we visit Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium’s French restaurant, Nouvelle Pousse. While eating we watch future Olympic ski jumpers training. As I pop an amuse bouche of marinated octopus into my mouth, a jumper launches from the in-run track. I hold my breath as they hover in the air, then land safely on the field below us. Relieved, I eat my tiny zucchini beignet, dip into an elegant porcelain mug of vichyssoise, then devour a delicate carrot mousse with snow crab and micro herbs. The meal, all served on Noritake crockery, concludes with dainty sweets on a wooden tray.

We finish our trip with a drink at an izakaya, a visit to Ramen Alley and a lesson with sushi master Tadeo Watanabe. A geisha performs at our table in a Susukino restaurant and we delight in the thrum of night-life on the streets.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has daily flights from Sydney or Melbourne to Sapporo.

How to get to Hokkaido from Australia

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has daily flights from Sydney or Melbourne to Sapporo.

Do I need cash when travelling in Hokkaido 

Many of the tourist attractions and hospitality venues are set up with credit card facilities but it’s a good idea to have some cash for vending machines and smaller venues.

It’s a good idea to have some cash for vending machines and smaller venues.

Where to stay in Sapporo 

The Royal Park Canvas Sapporo Odori Park.

Where to stay in Iwamizawa

Iwamizawa Log House Maple Lodge.

The writer’s trip was supported by Hokkaido Tourism Organization.

Originally published as Beyond the ski fields, Hokkaido is heaven for food lovers