Jingisukan — Hokkaido's Lamb BBQ Tradition

Jingisukan (ジンギスカン, 'Genghis Khan') is Hokkaido's signature BBQ dish — thinly sliced lamb grilled on a convex cast-iron skillet with vegetables (onions, bean sprouts, cabbage, pumpkin) cooked around the edges in lamb fat. The dish is named after Genghis Khan, with unclear origins (possibly because Mongolians eat lamb, or because the helmet-shaped grill resembles a Mongol warrior's helmet). Regardless of etymology, jingisukan is Hokkaido soul food.

Two styles exist: marinated (tare-zuke, lamb pre-soaked in sweet soy sauce) and raw (nama, lamb grilled then dipped in tare sauce). Sapporo Beer Garden and Daruma (だるま) are the two most famous venues. Daruma, a local chain since 1954, serves thick-cut raw lamb with a secret-recipe tare sauce that locals swear by. The meat is fatty, gamey, and pairs perfectly with cold beer.