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Drink · Japan
Nihonshu
Japanese sake, a fermented beverage made from rice, koji and water. It is an official geographical indication of Japan and is served chilled, at room temperature, or warm, in small cups.
Flavors · Hokkaido
Jingisukan
Grilled mutton or lamb on a rounded iron griddle, with vegetables that cook in the juices that run off. It’s Hokkaido’s best-known dish, eaten at home, in restaurants and on picnics.
Traditional dish from Hokkaido
Also known as: Genghis Khan, ジンギスカン, 成吉思汗
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Jingisukan — Hokkaido, Japan
Jingisukan is grilled mutton served on a rounded central iron griddle with grooves. The meat is placed on the raised center and vegetables—such as cabbage, onion, bean sprouts and kabocha—around it; the meat’s juices run down the grooves and season the vegetables. The name is the Japanese form of Genghis Khan.
According to the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, sheep farming was promoted in Japan in the early 20th century for wool production, and Hokkaido became one of the centers of that industry. Meat began to be eaten then, and jingisukan established itself as a way to consume it. The exact origin is uncertain: one explanation is that the dish was created in the early Shōwa era, adapted to Japanese tastes from a Chinese-style roast mutton.
There are two styles. In one, the raw meat is placed on the griddle and dipped later in a sauce; in the other, the meat is already marinated in a soy-based sauce with garlic and fruit before grilling. Both lamb (milder) and adult sheep/mutton (stronger-flavored) are used.
In Hokkaido, many families have their own griddle at home, and it’s common to have jingisukan outdoors during cherry-blossom season and in summer. Jingisukan was designated a Hokkaido Heritage dish in 2004 and is among the 100 local dishes selected by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2007. There are specialty restaurants across the prefecture, especially in Sapporo.
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Where it comes from
Hokkaido
Hokkaido’s best-known dish; Hokkaido Heritage.
Ingredients
Sliced lamb or mutton, cabbage, onion, bean sprouts, kabocha, bell pepper. Soy-based sauce, sometimes with garlic, ginger and fruit.
How it is eaten
Grilled at the table on the rounded griddle; the meat is eaten with the sauce and the vegetables cooked in the juices, often with rice and beer.
When it is eaten
All year; outdoors during cherry-blossom season and in summer.
Your questions
Questions about Jingisukan
Why is the dish called jingisukan?
Jingisukan is the Japanese form of Genghis Khan. The name evokes Central Asia and sheep; the exact origin of the dish is uncertain, and one explanation is that it was adapted from a Chinese roast mutton for Japanese tastes.
Where can you eat jingisukan in Hokkaido?
There are specialty restaurants throughout the prefecture, especially in Sapporo, where the meat is grilled at the table. In Hokkaido, it’s also common to make jingisukan at home and outdoors.
Is jingisukan lamb or mutton?
Both. Lamb is milder; adult sheep/mutton is stronger and fattier. The meat may be served raw to dip in sauce or already marinated.
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Dish · Fukuoka
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Dish · Hiroshima
Okonomiyaki
Layered pancake cooked on the griddle: thin wheat batter, lots of cabbage, slices of pork, fried noodles and egg, with a thick sweet sauce. In Hiroshima, it’s everyday food, served in specialized restaurants and eaten with a spatula.
Dish · Ise
Ise udon
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Dish · Iwate
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Dish · Kagawa
Sanuki udon
Kagawa udon: firm and elastic, with a smooth surface, served hot or cold, in iriko broth or simply with soy sauce. Kagawa is called the udon kingdom, with udon shops throughout the prefecture.
Drink · Kagoshima
Satsuma shochu
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Sweet · Kagoshima
Shirokuma
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Dish · Kanazawa
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Dish · Kochi
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Dish · Miyajima
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Dish · Miyazaki
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Iya soba
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Dish · Nagasaki
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Sweet · Nagasaki
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Kakinoha-zushi
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Goya champuru
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Okinawa soba
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Dish · Osaka
Takoyaki
Dough balls made from flour, egg and dashi with pieces of octopus, cooked on a griddle with round hollows and topped with sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed and dried bonito flakes. It’s Osaka’s best-known flavor.
Dish · Kyoto
Saba-zushi
Salted and vinegar-marinated mackerel sushi on a rice log, wrapped in bamboo sheath. A celebratory dish of Kyoto, tied to the Saba Kaido, the route that brought mackerel from the Wakasa Sea.
Dish · Sendai
Gyutan
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Dish · Shiga
Funazushi
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Dish · Tóquio
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Dish · Tóquio
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Dish · Yamagata
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Hoto
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Beyond the guide
