On the second day of searching for a delicious tarako gift as a return gift for a celebration in Sapporo City, I couldn't find anything satisfactory even after searching for "Sapporo Tarako Gift" online. I walked around from Odori to Sapporo Station looking for options. Eventually, I came across Akigawa Suisan, which has a factory in Wakkanai. The website featured a photo of crab and tarako, so I decided to purchase it from this store. The tarako is processed using local saffron cod from the waters near Hokkaido, unlike the Russian or American tarako commonly found in packs. It has a beautiful bright red color and tastes just right, not too salty. I bought a 450g pack of fresh tarako (about 10 pieces) for 3240 yen, which was quite affordable. They also had frozen options for about 500g at around 4000 yen. They also had smaller 200g gift packs available. I delivered the tarako I bought to someone and it received great reviews for being delicious. Since it's fresh, it's important to consume it promptly as it has a shelf life of about a week. Despite that, Akigawa Suisan offers delicious tarako.

In the past, tarako used to be about one-third the price of ikura, but now it can be even more expensive than ikura. That's why receiving tarako makes me so happy. Especially when it's from "Akigawa Suisan," you know it's good quality. Just thinking about putting it on hot rice makes my mouth water. It goes so well with sake. And even better with shochu mixed with hot water. It's delicious and makes the shochu go down smoothly. Finally, the main dish of hot rice. Wait, who eats rice at night? Well, it's okay, you can just heat up the frozen one. Ah, what a happiness. Looking forward to the next time.

In November 2013, Akigawa Suisan is a company located in the northernmost town of Japan, Wakkanai City. They are famous for their tarako, mentaiko, and crab products. The tarako and mentaiko are homemade by the company. I visited their store when I was at Daimaru Sapporo. The store is located on the basement floor of Daimaru Sapporo, directly connected to JR Sapporo Station in Chuo Ward, Sapporo City. You can check the exact location on Tabelog. I was walking through the seafood area of Daimaru's depachika. I found some really nice tarako. There were no special deals that day, but I still decided to buy some. The tarako (local product) they use is made from the eggs of cod caught in Toraushihama, known for its tarako in Hokkaido. They transport it to Wakkanai and season it at their own factory. The size is relatively large compared to other Hokkaido products. The seasoning is quite low in salt, highlighting the quality of the ingredients. It has a rich and high-quality taste that pairs perfectly with warm white rice. A 167g pack costs 1050 yen. The taste is something that foreign-produced tarako cannot replicate. It enhances the flavor of white rice even more. It would be a waste to freeze it at home. Of course, it also goes well with sake. Next time, I might buy some mentaiko. It was delicious, thank you for the feast.

A hairy crab was sent to me. I rarely eat crabs or similar things. It is a huge hairy crab that you don't usually see in supermarkets. It is from a shop called "Aki River Fisheries" in the basement of Daimaru in Sapporo. I struggle with cutting it with scissors. I don't eat crabs much because I'm not good at this task. It's delicious if you eat it. It has hard spikes because it's so big. After the hard work, the crab is delicious. Crab miso is the best. Crab miso is the most delicious with hairy crabs, I think. But this crab is huge. The body part is also full of meat. Please send me another one. Thank you for the meal.