Kanazawa Oden is a local soul food eaten year-round by the people of Kanazawa, characterized by a refined, clear Kansai-style broth made from kombu and dried fish stock, sharpened with locally made Ono soy sauce. Part of its great appeal lies in the local ingredients not found in oden from other prefectures — locally landed 'bai' whelks, 'kuruma-fu' wheel-shaped wheat gluten that soaks up the broth, and in winter, 'kani-men,' crab shell stuffed with miso and crab meat and simmered. Oden is said to have become popular in Kanazawa around the end of the Meiji era, first served at celebratory events, and long-established oden shops founded in the early Showa era still keep their doors open today, bustling with both locals and tourists. Many shops serve it even in summer, making year-round enjoyment another distinctive feature of Kanazawa Oden.
Origin
Oden is said to have become popular in Kanazawa around the end of the Meiji era, first served at stalls set up for celebratory events in the city. Since then, it has developed into Kanazawa's own oden culture, incorporating locally landed seafood, fu, and other specialty ingredients.
History
In the early Showa era, specialty shops sprang up one after another in the city, and long-established shops such as Akadama Honten (founded in 1927) and Oden Takasago (founded in 1936) continue to preserve the taste of Kanazawa Oden to this day. In recent years, it has also become positioned as a tourism resource under the name 'Kanazawa Oden,' with restaurants across the city competing with their own original broths and ingredients.
Features
The refined flavor comes from a clear broth made with kombu, dried sardines, and dried fish stock, seasoned with locally made Ono soy sauce. Local specialties include kuruma-fu, which readily absorbs the broth; bai whelks, prized for their springy texture; and, in winter only, 'kani-men,' crab shell stuffed with miso and crab meat from kobako-gani (female snow crab).
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
Many shops serve it not only in winter but also in summer, and being enjoyed year-round regardless of season is one of Kanazawa Oden's great characteristics. Enjoying a bite of oden with a drink on the way home from work has become established as a food culture deeply rooted in local life.
How It Differs from Home Cooking
At home, standard ingredients such as daikon radish and chikuwa fish cake are the mainstay, but specialty shops offer a rich variety of local ingredients such as kuruma-fu, bai whelks, and, in winter, kani-men, with each shop offering its own distinctive broth built up through years of topping off.
Famous Shops
赤玉本店
石川県金沢市片町2-21-2
Founded in 1927. A leading Kanazawa Oden shop known for its refined Kansai-style broth made with Ono soy sauce.
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石川県金沢市片町1-3-29
Founded in 1936. A long-established shop known for its somewhat richer Kanto-style broth, built up over the years by topping off.
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