Although Ainu food is today mostly found within private homes or at traditional ceremonies, some Ainu ingredients and techniques have been incorporated into Hokkaido cuisine (and vice versa) – although many visitors to the region may not realise their origins. “Under Japanese rule, additional seasonings like miso and soy crept into what was considered a fairly bland cuisine, enabling certain dishes to maintain popularity to this day,” said Jane Lawson, food and travel writer and founder of Zenbu Tours, noting that Ainu-originated dishes existing within the boundaries of the everyday Hokkaido diet include sanpeijiru, a salty soup made with salmon scraps; ishikari-nabe, a salmon hotpot with potatoes, cabbage and miso; and saketoba, dried jerky-like salmon sticks that are a popular snack.
