Born in the wake of Japan's one-on-one match! ``Abashiri Champon'', a dish unique to Abashiri

Speaking of champon, it is an image of Nagasaki.
If you're wondering, "Why is champon served in Abashiri?", you're right. Champon was originally a food from the Kyushu region such as Nagasaki, and did not exist in Abashiri. In fact, the birth of Abashiri Champon has a wonderful episode where chance and inevitability are intertwined.

In 1960, a company in Abashiri developed "frozen surimi". "Frozen surimi" was said to be a great invention at the time, comparable to instant noodles, and it became a hot topic around the world as "SURIMI" became a common word. For this reason, Abashiri is said to be the birthplace of frozen surimi.
Although it can be said that fish paste is the soul food of Abashiri, consumption has decreased year by year due to changes in eating habits. Therefore, in June 2009, we made the largest grilled chikuwa in Japan measuring 7.56m for the promotion of frozen surimi.

Around the same time, in November 2009, 11.15m chikuwa was made in Unzen City, Nagasaki Prefecture, which is a production area of fish paste and consumes a large amount of fish paste. Abashiri and Nagasaki challenged Japan's best grilled chikuwa in distant places, and the two cities came to interact as 'good rivals', and finally, 'Unzen's famous 'Obama champon' is a food ingredient of Abashiri. Wouldn't it be delicious if you tried making it in the shop?" From there, the current “Abashiri Champon” was born.

Abashiri Champon was born in this way and has three rules.

1. Based on the soup for Unzen Obama Champon, we add the blessings of Okhotsk to create a unique production.
2. Use one of the kamaboko vendors in Abashiri city.
3. Use special noodles for Abashiri Champon. (Contains wheat from Abashiri)

The taste of Abashiri Champon is a soup full of umami, chewy noodles, delicious Abashiri kamaboko, and stir-fried vegetables with plenty of sweetness. The deliciousness of the four in one, not the trinity. It can be said that it is the strongest food that is packed with the deliciousness of Abashiri in a bowl.
This is not just a "local gourmet" but a "local gourmet" of Unzen City and Abashiri City.

The chairman of the Abashiri Champon Research Group also said, "When you come to Abashiri, I want you to eat Abashiri Champon, which is packed with the deliciousness of Abashiri. We also sell souvenirs. Local vegetables, Unzen Obama Champon soup, and Abashiri kamaboko. The soup collaboration is absolutely delicious! I recommend it with confidence."
In 2023, it will be commercialized for a limited time at the convenience store chain 7-Eleven!

How about comparing freshly fried tempura and kamaboko?

Speaking of tempura in Abashiri, it is "agekama" (fried kamaboko). It is a local food of Abashiri that contains ingredients such as "crab" and "scallop" in a paste made with walleye pollock. There are three tempura and kamaboko shops in the city, where you can enjoy freshly made kamaboko and tempura that is fried on the spot.
The taste of freshly fried tempura while driving is exceptional. If you have time, it would be fun to compare the tastes of the three restaurants. It's so delicious that you won't get tired of eating it.
Here, we will introduce tempura and kamaboko restaurants that are the pride of Abashiri.

①Yokoyama Kamaboko

The chigiriage, which is made at a small kamaboko factory that is particular about handcrafting using fish caught in the nearby sea and carefully selected ingredients, is particularly popular. I'm happy that it's a bite size that is easy to eat as a side dish or as a snack.

② Otani Kamaboko Store

Only surimi of Alaska pollock caught in the waters near Hokkaido is used. It has also won the Chairman's Award of the National Kamaboko Seafood Processing Industry Cooperative Association. If it is in the morning, you may be able to see them making kamaboko.

③ Kitami Food Industry Direct Sales Store

In addition to processed products such as salmon and scallops, they also sell various types of kamaboko, so you can enjoy freshly fried tempura (kamaboko) to your liking. It is also characterized by many souvenirs and gifts. The extravagant kamaboko with a whole scallop in it is popular.

Hirezake from the west Karazake from the east
Try sake from Abashiri specialty

Abashiri City accounts for the majority of the domestic catch of red crab. “Karazake” is made from the shells of Abashiri's special product, the crab. "Karazake" is
The crab leg shells are dried to remove the odor and roasted over charcoal to bring out the aroma. Just like puffer fish fin sake, if you put it in hot sake and taste it, the juice from the shell of the crab will transfer to the sake, and the fragrant umami will increase. If you like Japanese sake, this is a sake that you should definitely try.
There are also souvenirs, so you can immerse yourself in the memories of Abashiri at home.

■ Shooting cooperation

Abashiri Champon Study Group

ノームカフェ （GNOME café）
北海道網走市台町3-7-4　アパートメント アップラ 3F
070-1259-5779

横山蒲鉾店
北海道網走市北５条西６丁目５
0152-43-3893

有限会社大谷かまぼこ店
北海道網走市南１条東１丁目
0152-44-2387

北見食品工業 直売店
北海道網走市新町１丁目１−１１
0152-43-2730

■ Stores offering Karazake

Check here