Local Recommendations

Hirosaki, the largest producer of apples in Japan, has many shops offering a wide variety of apple pies.
Each shop offers a unique apple pie, with varying balance of sweetness and sourness, as well as texture, allowing visitors to experience the profound world of apple pie in town.

Iga Menchi is a home-style dish made with chopped squid legs (geso), seasonal vegetables, and flour, which is fried or baked.

The sweet corn “dake-kimi” is produced in the highland area of Mount Iwaki, located in the center of the Tsugaru region. Because of the large temperature differences between day and night at the foot of Mount Iwaki, the sweetness of the corn is exceptional. As a distinguished fall product of Aomori, the sight of roadside shops with the dake-kimi displayed for sale has become a featured tradition of the autumn season.

Dondonzu is a Japanese sweet monaka, shaped like the buttocks of the Konan Railway mascot character “Russel-kun.” The monaka is stuffed with banana-flavored filling.

The bread comes in five pieces, just like a 5-car train. The spicy variety gets spicier and spicier, while the sweet one gets sweeter and sweeter as you eat the connected pieces. (Pre-order is required)

This ice cream shop features 100% handmade ice cream. The azuki beans in “azuki candy” flavor are prepared in-house with a simple and mild flavor.

Agetai is a deep-fried taiyaki, a sweet pastry filled with red bean paste, sprinkled with sugar. The owner of the shop, Mr. Jin, welcomes all guests to come and enjoy a restful break.

The horse buns are made with horse meat and filled with Kanagi town’s specialties. The soy sauce variety is made with “nemagari-dake,” a favorite mountain vegetable of the local author, Osamu Dazai. The miso variety contains the ingredients of Kanagi’s unique horse meat hot pot as the filling. Kanagi’s horse meat, Kanagi’s miso, Kanagi’s soy sauce, and Kanagi’s vegetables make for an exceptionally tasty bun.

Additive-free and color-free, Red Apple Juice is made from apples that are crimson to the core, a specialty of Goshogawara. The beautiful red color and refreshing acidity make the apple perfect for juice. It makes a wonderful local gift.

The flavorful chashu pork is excellent and is available for take-out orders.

The fried potatoes come in various unique flavors.

The grilled bento is a popular item at one of the oldest shops in Tsugaru. The bento is an excellent lunch for a picnic.

Pickles are a staple in any household in the Tsugaru region. Common pickles found in the region are wrapped pickles and pickled nishin (herring). Seasonal produce is used for seasonal pickles.

Each cracker is baked using a traditional hand-baking technique.
The cracker is a satisfying treat with a crispy texture and generous amount of peanuts.

“Wasamo dora” means “give me some, too” in Tsugaru dialect.
A soft and moist crust sandwiches a lightly sweet bean paste.
There are two varieties, one with margarine and another with mochi.

The soul food “Chicken Bo” is a real pleasure to eat hot when it is fresh. The batter is crispy and the meat is juicy. It is best enjoyed with mayonnaise.

Cake Do Daifuku is a cake wrapped in a thin mochi.
It is a popular item with seven varieties in total, including strawberry, chestnut, and blueberry. A seasonal menu features a wide variety of delicious flavors.

Kujira Mochi is a Japanese confectionery with a long history since it was brought from Kyoto by the Kitamae Ship. The ingredients are simple: non glutinous rice, glutinous rice, azuki beans, and sugar. It has a very refined taste with a mochi-like texture.

Launched in 2013, the Fukaura Tuna Steak Donburi is a new local delicacy using generous portions of tuna caught in Fukaura, which boasts the largest catch of tuna in the prefecture. You can enjoy tuna grilled to your liking in three different bowls and three different sauces.

Fukaura snow carrots is a brand of carrots representing Fukaura. The carrots, harvested late into winter and dug up from under the thick snow, are characterized by a fruity sweetness that is unlike any vegetable. Juices and jelly desserts are crafted from the Fukaura snow carrots and sold in the town.

Aoike is a beautiful cobalt blue pond, located deep in the Juniko Lakes region. The soft-serve ice cream made in the image of Aoike is a must-try if you visit.

Tsugaru Dam Curry’s roux is presented to resemble the image of Lake Tsugaru Shirakami, topped with dam-inspired rice and a large meat cutlet. It satisfies both visual and physical hunger.

Bear Donburi is made using bears that were captured as control measures to protect birds and wild animals.

Meyadofu is firmer than regular tofu packed with the flavor of beans.

Onosato is the original Momoyama-manju from Entremet Sato Confectionery, which has been loved in Fujisaki Town for many years. The name Onosato comes after the former Ozeki sumo wrestler “Onosato,” who was from Fujisaki Town and was known as the god of sumo.

Tokiwa Egg Pudding has a rich egg flavor, made from Tokiwa eggs with red shells. The best way to enjoy it is by mixing the creamy pudding with the caramel sauce. It is a popular product of Kikuchi Kakuseido, having won the first grand prize of the Fuji One Grand Prix.

This egg monaka looks just like the local specialty, Tokiwa’s egg. The white part is filled with white bean paste and the yolk with kumquat, creating an elegant monaka with a fresh aroma and tart taste.

Aomori Apple Processing Co.’s apple jam is a paste made from apples, which heightens the flavor of the apples.
The products are carefully hand-crafted, including the retro handwritten labels that are applied by hand.

Owani-yaki is a crocodile-shaped fried cake, a new specialty of Owani-machi. The oyaki is made of pie dough with a special red bean paste and other ingredients. Pre-order reservation is recommended as the quantity is limited.

Jumbo Arare are so big they don’t fit in your mouth, and their subtle saltiness is addictive. A favorite snack in Tsugaru, once you start eating it, you can’t stop! It is healthy and proudly made from safe and high-quality Aomori rice.

The brown rice crackers, rich in nutrients from the bran and germ, are delicious on their own, but they taste even better when topped with jam, butter, or yogurt. They also come in a variety of flavors, including brown sugar, sweet-and-spicy soy sauce, and syrup made from Aomori Fuji apples.

This assortment includes a set of dried strawberries processed from the ripe strawberries of “Kanko Ichigo-en Agri-na Rice Paddy Art Village ” and cookies and pound cake made with plenty of dried strawberries.

If you want some cream puffs in Itayanagi, Jumbo cream puffs are a must-try. The fluffy dough and generous amount of custard cream make these cream puffs a true classic.

Uguisu-mochi is a best seller from mid-December to early April. It is so smooth to the touch that it melts in your mouth as soon as you put it in your mouth. Reservations are recommended.

The diner Asahi has long been a favorite of locals and has a nostalgic atmosphere. Chicken rice filled with chicken, served with egg, ketchup, and fukujinzuke pickles, has a nostalgic taste.

A specialty of the roadside station, the juice of Tsuruta’s local grape Steuben is used generously in the dough and bean paste in this daifuku mochi.

The Bikkuri bread series include various mega-sized breads such as melon bread and yakisoba bread, about 3 to 5 times the normal size.

The butter cream bread has the perfect combination of soft and fluffy rolls and butter cream with a gentle sweetness that is smooth to the palate.

Hatomugi karinto is a fried dough snack that has a crunchy texture and a gentle sweetness. It is very addictive.