Kanazawa is a city that is equally famous for its historic charm as well as its incredible seafood – and you can literally eat your way through history with a private cooking class here.
“IN KANAZAWA HOUSE” is a traditional machiya (merchant shophouse) where you can learn to prepare and taste seasonal home-cooked meals using local ingredients with a resident chef. The food journey starts with a trip to the Edo-era Omicho Market, known to locals as “Kanazawa’s kitchen” for its wide variety of local specialties spread across its about 200 stores. Here, you will learn how to spot the freshest ingredients and seafood, which will be used during the cooking class.
The star attraction at Omicho Market is undoubtedly its freshly-caught local seafood, from oysters to crabs and a large variety of fish, some only available from the Sea of Japan coast. Not only can you buy them for the cooking class, you can also eat them at the stalls, whether they’re fresh, grilled, or preserved. Grab a small bottle of locally-brewed alcoholic beverage and taste a large variety of seafood as you walk around the market. Some store owners also hand out free samples.
There are also restaurants where you can dine on the popular kaisendon (rice bowl topped with fresh seafood), and the most prized fish is the nodoguro, known in Japan as the “king of the white fish.” A specialty of Kanazawa, this tender, fatty fish is best eaten in winter – while it is usually eaten raw, it is also excellent when grilled. Other local specialities that can only be found in the Hokuriku region include the gasu ebi, a brown-shelled shrimp with a distinctive sweet flavour, and the hotaru ika, or tiny firefly squids that are famous for their bioluminescence.
IN KANAZAWA HOUSE
Address: 1-4-28 Hosai, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, 920-0862
Omicho Market Kanazawa
Address: 50 Kamiomicho, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, 920-0905
Website (Japanese only)
