Hokkaido by Tim Anderson

I adore Hokkaido, the latest cookbook from Tim Anderson, and yet I suspect it’s a book we may not cook from quite as much as his previous titles.

That statement got me to thinking about what I value in a cookbook and I realised there are three different categories that I appreciate. The first are those cookbooks full of achievable, straightforward and tempting recipes that work exactly as written and are a delight to cook and eat; there’s no specific theme to the books other than sharing a collection of the author’s recipes. The second set are books that dive into a specialist topic, ingredient or cooking method; of course, the recipes are a big part of these books too, alongside how to master a particular method or ingredient. And the third category (and probably my favourite) covers books which showcase the cuisine, culture and lifestyle of a place through the lens of food ; we can and do cook from these books too but I cherish them most of all for the way they take me on a journey to visit and learn about a place in time.

It’s in this last category that Hokkaido: Recipes form the Seas, Fields and Farmlands of Northern Japan sits–and it’s a real treasure! Not least because I’ve been planning our own trip to Hokkaido for over a year now even though we don’t go till autumn 2025–what can I tell you? I’m a dedicated planner! But also because it has increased my knowledge and permanently changed my perception of Hokkaido cuisine.

Additionally, this book differs from Tim’s previous body of work in both content and style. One of the things I often gush about when reviewing Tim’s books is the pervasive humour and lightness of touch he brings to his writing. In Hokkaido that’s almost entirely absent and yet this adjustment of style isn’t a negative; rather it’s an indication of the deep reverence and abiding respect Tim so clearly harbours for the people, cuisine, and culture of the region.

This is evident from the very first words he shares in an Introduction aptly named “Don’t Call It A Frontier”: Here, he outlines the temptation to describe Hokkaido as such–indeed it’s “the language used by Hokkaido’s own tourism organisation: ‘Japan’s Northern Frontier’“.

But as Tim explains, “positioning Hokkaido as a frontier is to portray the island as historically empty, land that was simply ‘discovered’ by the imperial government. The reality is that Hokkaido was already home to the Ainu and other indigenous groups for centuries. Their land was taken, and they were forced to assimilate into Japanese society under a series of harsh laws that banned Ainu cultural practices.”

Hokkaido was officially claimed by the imperial Japanese government in 1869, following the Meiji Restoration the previous year and, much like European and American imperialism, it was a brutal period that did its utmost to erase a thriving indigenous culture, by dismissing it as ‘barbarian’ and imposing Japanese imperial rule and culture in its place.

Often, when we hear or read about Hokkaido, we learn of produce such as milk, lamb, sweetcorn and beer, but all of these and more were introduced by the Japanese, under the direction of “William S. Clark, an American professor enlisted by the Japanese government to advise on Western farming methods” and to help establish these methods and crops in the government’s newly annexed territory. These efforts were described as pioneering by the Japanese government, but Tim’s introduction serves as a useful reminder that the viewpoint of those who were forcibly colonised is starkly different.

One of the things Tim highlights throughout the book is that a long-standing and well-established food culture already existed in Hokkaido long before the Japanese assimilated the region, and Hokkaido’s indigenous peoples made use of many ingredients that are not much known or used elsewhere, as well as the abundant meat, fish and vegetables of their region.

I mentioned above that this book has about it a sincere and earnest respect for Hokkaido but that’s not to say you won’t see glimpses of Tim’s signature humour; I’m still smiling at his attempt to re-live as a “decrepit middle-aged” 38 year old a nostalgic memory he held of drinking beer and eating Genghis Khan (lamb BBQ) in the Sapporo Beer Garden’s Kessel Hall aged 20. Although the place, beer and food were just as impressive as they had been, the effects of so much alcohol and red meat left the older Tim feeling “bloated, sweaty and uncomfortable“, and suffering from “abject remorse“.

And I snigger vicariously at his assertion that “some foods named after the place that’s famous for them are tremendously disappointing“, after which he looks pointedly at New York pizza and hot dogs. (This point is raised, by the way, to share his view that this kind of disappointment rarely occurs in Hokkaido, as he goes on to list Yūbari melon, Rishiri kombu, and Ishikari nabe).

A collage of some of the Behind The Scenes content Tim shared via Instagram

I also must talk about the Instagram content Tim’s been sharing via Instagram Stories in the several weeks before the book’s release in which he’s explained with examples, anecdotes and illustrations the entire lifecycle of creating a / this book. From pitching, commissioning (and the role of an agent), through research (much of which was on location in Hokkaido), writing, editing (and the importance of word count limits), design, styling / photography, and marketing, he has taken prospective readers on a journey; all of which gives an added dimension to my enjoyment of the book itself. We even learn a little about the kind of considerations that govern what kinds of books get published versus those that seldom do.

When I view the beautiful illustrations on the cover and throughout the book, I think back to his posts about the process, from initial vibes, mood boards and colour palettes, to discussions on which Hokkaido specialities, landscapes and elements of Ainu culture to reference, to allocating specific colours to represent different elements of Hokkaido, to showing us different iterations of the cover and of course, finallly the chosen design. This insight into how he and Hardie Grant worked with Illustrator Evi O. to evolve the visual identity (not just of the cover but of the entire book) was fascinating and it hugely increased my appreciation for the beautiful design; it is aesthetically pleasing but it’s also so much more than that!

The cover and internal design and illustrations in Hokkaido are something very special, and contribute significantly to the overall pleasure of reading the book. The distinctive and predominantly pastel colour palette on the cover is carried through inside the book, most noticeably on the travelogue pages (see below) which feature appealing typography plus beautiful artwork of significant elements (such as local ingredients, landscapes, cultural motifs, local wildlife and each area or city’s mascot).

The content of the book is informed and hugely enriched by the on-location research Tim did in Hokkaido, not only on a dedicated trip for this book, but dating back to when he first headed there in 2005 to embark on funded research about local foods in Japan. The Instagram stories bring some of this to life too, revealing a wonderful web of UK and Hokkaido contacts that helped Tim to connect with relevant people on the ground, people who helped shape his itinerary, guide him and introduce him to people once there, and the many experts themselves–and it’s clear these encounters contributed enormously to the content of the book. Tim did a lot of research from here in the UK too (before and after his trip), and his Instagram posts about how he researched Abashiri Champon is a great example of how web hyperlinks allow us to jump from website to website, tidbit to tidbit and build up a picture on our chosen topic.

Tim’s photo of Hakodate

If you missed these Behind The Scenes insights, don’t worry, they are all saved in a couple of Highlights folders (called BTS and BTS 2) which you can access via Tim’s Instagram profile.

With such a huge subject matter, Tim hasn’t tried to cram in the entirety of Hokkaido food and culture, but has made judicious decisions about just what to include to provide a varied, interesting and representative account. He’s included a mix of traditional regional dishes–including a significant number showcasing the cuisine of Hokkaido’s indigenous people–alongside copycat recipes for specialities served in iconic restaurants (with varying levels of input from the restaurants, and a lot of experimentation to recreate the textures and flavours he experienced). Recipe development is a lot of work, meticulously organised and tracked.

Incidentally, that category of copycat recipes triggers a discussion about attribution, something which I admired in Tim’s most recent books and which is particularly important in this book; he diligently attributes his sources of influence, inspiration and information through end-notes. He points to Nic Miller’s article on culinary genealogy as a must read on this topic, which I heartily endorse!

As well as the time spent on location in Hokkaido, and reading about the topic of Hokkaido cuisine, history and culture, Tim did plenty of far wider research including reading fiction and watching manga and films set in Hokkaido, and delving into subject matter far beyond food through books, websites and blogs. For anyone keen to read beyond what Tim’s shared in Hokkaido, he’s provided a very useful and detailed Endnotes section in which he shares a long list of sources cited throughout the book.

Tim’s photo of a traditional Ainu building in Shiraoi

The first chapter is a hefty one covering Ainu food across 30 pages. It starts with a historical and cultural introduction to the Ainu (who migrated from northern Russia many centuries ago) to what they then called Aynumosir (land of the humans). Learning about the misnomer that was known as Hokkaido Former Aborigines Protection Act of 1899 is hard reading, as is the destruction not only of the culture and language, but of landscapes that were once the home to species the Ainu relied on for both food and medicine. Thanks to the resilience of the Ainu people their language, culture and cuisine survived in the privacy of homes and small enclaves, and from this core grew a movement to reclaim control of ancestral lands, assert the significance of Ainu culture and to counteract longstanding discrimination. Some of the work to write into law the recognition of Ainu as an indigenous group, and to repeal discriminatory legislation came only in the last few years and even now, activists note that the Ainu are still exploited as a tourism resource.

Tim was able to meet many Ainu cooks, craftspeople and community representatives who were able to not only share their history, culture, food and personal stories but also speak to the challenge of “reconciling old traditions with modern tastes” and the importance of “preservation – of ingredients, identity, culture and the environment“.

After this introduction to the Ainu themselves comes an introduction to their food, and a short but useful glossary of common ingredients and categories of dishes. Finally, a handful of Ainu recipes, contributed by chef Hiroki Kon. Other Ainu recipes and techniques are included within subsequent pages of the book.

Following this section are chapters for Sides, Small Dishes & Snacks; Big Dishes & Main Meals; Sweets; and Fundamentals & Resources. Interspersed into this structure are fourteen travelogues that describe a place, its culture and history, one or more dish associated with that place, and Tim’s experiences visiting and trying the local specialities. Destinations include Abashiri, Ishikari, Muroran, Lake Akan, Hakodate, Sapporo, Ashibetsu, Asahikawa, Furano, Kushiro, Wakkanai, and Rishiri. A map of Hokkaido next to the Table of Contents makes it easy to see where each of these places is located.

In the Big Dishes & Main Meals chapter, Tim shares several distinct types of ramen from Hokkaido including Sapporo Miso Ramen, Hakodate Shio Ramen, Ashikawa Shoyu Ramen, Spicy Ashikawa Offal Ramen, Kushiro Ramen, and Muroran / Tomakomai Curry Ramen.

As we’ve come to expect from Tim, recipes are clearly written and easy to follow, and it’s gratifying how closely they resemble the food photography in the book–though far less skillfully styled and photographed! Most recipes do have photos, which I appreciate; especially when many of the dishes are unfamiliar, it’s helpful to understand how the finished dish looks.

When it comes to food photography and styling, a lot of work went into sourcing and selecting just the right props (such as the iconic Hokkaido-shaped cast-iron grills used for Genghis Khan, and proper ramen bowls), and the team (photographer, food stylist, prop stylist and of course, Tim) took extra care to ensure that the images created for copycat recipes in particular were as faithful to what the originals looked like as possible. Speaking of ramen, Tim reveals that for his book Ramen Forever, the team went out of their way not be repetitive in how they presented the finished dishes but for Hokkaido they made a conscious decision to use the same composition (but different settings) for all of the ramen recipes; a way to visually highlight the differences between them.

Tim’s landscape, lake and mountain photo

These images are supplemented by many taken by Tim in Hokkaido of the food, the urban spaces and the landscapes–most are self-explanatory but I occasionally find myself wishing a few of the food ones were captioned. This combination of photos taken in Hokkaido, beautiful representative illustrations, and recipe photography make this a pleasingly visual book, something I always savour.

I also appreciate that the recipe names have been provided in English plus Ainu or Japanese language, with the latter being written in both romaji and Japanese scripts–there’s a note in the Ainu Food chapter explaining that any Ainu words have been romanised according to a standard set by the National Ainu Museum.

Although I started this review with a thought that we probably won’t cook quite as much from this book as some of Tim’s others (including Your Home Izakaya, Bowls & Bento, and Microwave Meals), that’s not to say we won’t cook from it at all!

Potato Cheese Dumplings (chīzu imomochi) were quick, easy and make a delicious weekday lunch. Tim notes that plain ones are the most common but that he also encountered many variations including cheese, honey, soy sauce and butter (all of which feature in this recipe). The recipe is simple, and although it took a little time to cook and mash the potato, this was still a quick snack to pull together. It’s also the reason we bought Babybels for the first time in many a year!

Venison was once squarely in the domain of Ainu cuisine but is now enjoyed more widely, including in versions of Genghis Khan and curry rice. Tim adds that it’s “common to find venison steaks, served rare with a simple sauce, on izakaya menus“. The Rare Venison Steak (shikaniku no rea sutēki) was an absolute joy. We are fortunate to be able to buy good venison locally and we’ve already made this dish twice. Although the sauce is similar to other Japanese sauces, the inclusion of apple juice here adds an extra hint of acidity that’s so, so good!

Having made some fabulous tori meshi (chicken onigiri) from our last reviewed cookbook, Konbini, we were drawn immediately to the Hot Bacon Okaka Onigiri in Hokkaido. The filling for these rice balls is a combination of streaky bacon chopped finely and cooked with soy sauce, sake, brown sugar and mayonnaise and is really delicious! As previously, we’ve still not got the knack of creating cohesive onigiri–thankfully they taste just as good collapsed!

There are fantastic cookbooks that focus primarily on providing an appealing collection of recipes to help readers create delicious food in our own homes; indeed we have many of them on our book shelves. But then there are books that share recipes–yes, but more than that, they showcase the cuisine, culture and lifestyle of a place through the lens of food. Hokkaido is one such book; it has taken me on a journey, enriched my knowledge and understanding of this unique region, and helped me to forge a deep respect for a place I look forward to visiting in a few month’s time.

Recipes from Hokkaido

We have permission from Hardie Grant to share these three fantastic recipes with you from the book:

• Potato Cheese Dumplings (Chīzu Imomochi)
• Rare Venison Steak (Shikaniku No Rea Sutēki)
• Hot Bacon Okaka Onigiri (Hot Bacon and Bonito Flake Rice Balls)

Find more Japanese recipes and content, here.

Kavey Eats received a review copy of Hokkaido: Recipes from the Seas, Fields and Farmlands of Northern Japan by Tim Anderson from publishers Hardie Grant. Images from the book courtesy of Hardie Grant.