Hakodate Fresh Seafood Market 函館海鮮市場

At the Hakodate Bay Area, you can find a huge store selling a variety of Hakodate local produce at the Hakodate Fresh Seafood Market Square (函館海鮮市場) . 

Most of the local produce here have been processed, vacuum sealed and refrigerated to keep it's freshness. For fresh local produce, you can visit the Hakodate Morning market.  

We were welcomed by a huge variety of dried cuttlefish, from cuttlefish strips and to even whole cuttlefish. 

Among all the cuttlefish varieties, this one is the most interesting. Do you realise that it is shaped like a glass? Yes, it is called Ika Glass, which is best used with hot sake poured inside. After using for 2-3 pours, toast the ika slightly before eating for best results.

Ika Meshi is a type of local food only unique to Hakodate. Ika - meaning cuttlefish  / Meshi - meaning rice; this dish literally means steamed cuttlefish stuffed with rice. 

Salmon is also an ever popular fish, and you can buy it either as a whole fish, deboned into half (only JPY1500!) or in slices for easy cooking. 

Japanese also love their crabs! but these are not sri lanka crabs like those found in Singapore. The crabs have longer claws which most of the meat comes from. Here they are selling the Tarabakani (red king crab) claws (JPY9800) or a the cheaper whole Zuwai Kani (JPY2800)

You can even find frozen whale meat here! But they don't come cheap.. selling at 100g for JPY800, each packet will cost you JPY3500 (approximately SGD50). Recommended for sashimi or deep fried.  

Some other seafood items include air dried cuttlefish and Hokke fish. Best eaten by just grilling it in the oven. 

This is my favourite! Called shoukara (塩辛) it is a marinated seafood dish (mostly using Ika) using various kinds or marinates and best when eaten together with piping hot rice. Too bad I can't buy some home as it needs to be kept refrigerated. 

Besides seafood produce, sausages or what they can wiener in Japan (which means sausage in German) is also a popular item in Hakodate.  

As most items here need to be refrigerated, a pity that I couldn't buy any of these stuff back home.


Hakodate Fresh Seafood Market Square (Bay Area) 函館海鮮市場 

北海道函館市豊川町12-12
Open daily: 6:30am - 8pm
Nearest station: Jiujigai local tram station
www.hakodate-factory.com (Japanese only)