Why you should try the boil in the bag curries in Hokkaido!
Boil in the bag called retorto（レトルト）curry is a great way to have an easy meal using hot water or microwave in Japan!
We have varieties of these curries, so even a Japanese have a hard time picking which might be the best choice. So I tried the ones from Hokkaido and reviewed them from my favorite to the least favorite!
My Favorite boil in the bag curries in Hokkaido!
What's so great about boil in the bag curries?
Boil in the bag curry, as the name suggests, is packaged curry that you can heat up with boiled water, or microwave to preapare.
In Japan, there are microwavable rice, too. So you only need a microwave to cook curry rice.
This is good when you don't have time to cook! Japan is also a country that has a lot of nature tragedies, so we stock up on these food in case of emergency, and the competition made it very tasty, convenient, and cost efficient.
The majority of Japanese would say that best food in Japan comes from either Hokkaido or Fukuoka! As my base is in Hokkaido, I tried the boil in the bag curries from Hokkaido I could find in supermarkets and reviewed it :)
Hope it helps people to get an idea of which ones to try when you are in Hokkaido!
Otaru Keema Curry (455JPY)
Otaru Keema Curry is also spicy for a curry from Japan!!
Usually keema is pork or beef, but Otaru is famous for its chickens. So, the keema is Hokkaido chicken and it also uses Hokkaido vegetables!
It also has a fish sauce seafood taste, and a hint of lemongrass, which I love.
Hokkaido Butter Chicken (488JPY)
This curry had a very rich taste that comes from the peanut butter used in the curry. I’m glad I ate this as I learned the nuttyness and the butter adds depth to the curry!
The tenderness of the chicken is also really nice!
Gotoken Hakodate Curry (490JPY)
Gotoken is a famous curry restaurant from Hakodate, and they have a boil in the bag curry you can easily cook!
This one has a punch of spice than the usual curries in Japan, closer to the Indian curries.
The chicken, potato, and carrots have nice texture, and the potato especially has a stickier texture which is a trait of Hokkaido potato Kita Akari.
Hokkaido pork curry (719JPY)
The pork and potato is bigger than other curries, and I loved the pork!!
I think this one fit the image of a good tastedorthodox Japanese curry:)
Furano Tomato Chicken Curry (436JPY)
As with the picture and name of the curry, you will taste a lot of sweet tomato.
I think it’s closer to a tomato sauce than a curry… But I think children will love this curry!
Hakodate Minatomachi Curry (522JPY)
Hakodate Minatomachi Curry（函館港町カレー） is the premium curry of Gotoken curry restaurant introduced earlier.
This one had a rich seafood broth which was nice, but the seafood in the curry didn’t have the expected tenderness or the taste of good seafood…
Kyukyoku no Hakodate Curry (586JPY)
Kyukyoku no Hakodate Curry（究極の函館カレー）is also the premium version of Gotoken curry restaurant, and this one has a lot of vegetables and meat!!
But honestly, the 2 premium curries were my least favorite because it’s one of the most expensive boil in the bag curries in the market in Japan, and I honestly thought the curries at the top of the list tasted better.
If money is no issue for you, it’s great to try at least once. But for me the curry I would repeat was Otaru Keema and maybe Hokkaido Butter Cicken!
Boil in the bag food is very handy!
Not only curries, but boil in the bag food like pasta sauce, oyakodon, chukadon, you name it. Especially during winter when it is snow breezing outside, it is very draining to have to go grocery shopping... So a lot of people have these in stock.
All you need to do is cook your rice, heat the curry, and you have a meal.
You may add milk, soy sauce, and more vegetables and proteins of your choice for a healthier choice, too!
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In this book, I post my food trips around the world as insights into Japanese food in comparison to all the different cuisines I encountered through my trips.
I love food businesses that aren't just into making profits but strive to protect their food culture and are genuinely passionate about what they do. I feel I can share with the world all my food experiences that filled my heart:)
Having a relative at a green tea farm in "one of the biggest green tea plantation cities, Kakegawa," an uncle running an unagi eel restaurant in an "eel town of Japan, Hamamatsu," and a mother who was one of the first people to introduce the izakaya culture in Silicon Valley, my life has a lot to do with Japanese food culture.
I have traveled to many places in Japan, so I hope to share what I know to help you better plan your food trip to my home country!
“When you eat, it’s supposed to go deep into your heart.
Whether you are rich or poor, eating isn’t just to fill your stomach, it is also to fill your heart.”
- Ryu Aomi 青海 龍
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