Chan-chan Yaki

Chan-chan yaki is a salmon and vegetable dish associated with Hokkaido, particularly the Ishikari area. The fish and vegetables are cooked together with butter and a seasoning made from miso, sugar, mirin and sake. Cabbage, onion, carrot and peppers are common vegetables, while mushrooms and other seasonal produce can be added. The ingredients are covered during cooking so that they steam as well as brown on the hot surface.^[1]

Local accounts connect the dish with fishing communities in Ishikari. Cooking a large piece of salmon on an iron griddle is the traditional method, but home versions often use smaller fillets, a frying pan or a tabletop hotplate; foil-wrapped preparations are also common. The dish is especially associated with the autumn and winter salmon season, although it is eaten throughout the year and served at local events. Several explanations exist for its name, so no single derivation is established.^[1]