Earlier this month our reporter Mr. Sato paid a visit to the northern land of Hokkaido and their Adashiri Prison Museum. There he sampled of their pickles and prison beer but also found a bevy of other souvenirs for the region.
One item in particular stood out among those various trinkets and snacks. Its name is Drift Ice Curry and it was inspired by the tranquil beauty of ice that flows through the Okhotsk Sea from mid-February to early March. It’s a phenomenon that’s you’d probably least expect be depicted in a curry, which is exactly why Mr. Sato had to try it.
The curry is sold by Bell Foods and developed by the restaurant Krishna in Kitami City. Krishna is also known as the India of the Okhotsk Sea, and it was perhaps this honor that inspired the head chef to create this unique curry.
▼ Package: “[Krishna’s head chef] set out to somehow express the sea in a curry. And so after trial and error he managed to create Drift Ice Curry.”
Judging by the image on the box he passed with flying colors.
■ Blue and white instant curry
Mr. Sato held in his hands the fruit of Krishna’s labor. Unlike regular instant curry pouches, this one contained two separate ones which were to be combined only at the moment of serving. One pouch had “Marine Blue Curry” which played the role of the sea. The other bag contained “White Curry” which would be the ice floating on top.
■ As deep blue and dangerous as the sea
Mr. Sato got his plate of rice ready and proceeded to pour the Marine Blue Curry on top. This wasn’t our first azure curry rodeo, since we tackled the bright blue Dragon Quest Slime curry a while back. Still, this particular shade of blue was different. The slime curry was bright and had a festive feeling about it, while this blue curry was rather dark and foreboding.
But that all changed once Mr. Sato added the chicken-filled White Curry on top. His dish began to look like a spicy arctic wonderland!
■ Pleasing to the tongue, bad for the brain
The taste was quite delicious. The texture was velvety smooth and the pure sweetness of the vegetables and chicken was delectable. Mr. Sato had to constantly remind himself of that though. For some reason the anti-freeze-colored curry kept triggering an innate alarm in his brain that it was something he shouldn’t be putting in his mouth. All in all, it’s truly unique in that it’s a delicious dish that you may also feel compelled to throw up while eating.
Original article by Mr. Sato
Images: RocketNews24
▼ India of Okhotsk: Krishna
▼ The actual Okhotsk Sea, for comparison
[ Read in Japanese ]








We try blue beer made with drift ice from Hokkaido
Get your magical pink and blue curry from Japan’s Village Vanguard!
We try bright blue Dragon Quest slime curry, live to tell the tale
Our writers band together to take on a 15-pound “All-Topping-Curry” from Coco Ichi
Japanese vending machine serves up unique drinks at four Tokyo train stations
Japanese high school adds culottes to uniforms to better accommodate gender diversity
How to properly wrap a ninja hood – Now available in English!
Massive manga collaboration bringing 100 years of Shueisha manga to Uniqlo T-shirts【Photos】
Totoro cream puffs and Catbus cookies are finally available in downtown Tokyo
Tokyu Kabukicho Tower backtracks on its gender-neutral toilets, rejigging them to appease public
How to make epic pancakes with your Japanese rice cooker
Canned cuteness as Hello Kitty and friends kick off Can Chara capsule toy line【Photos】
Which Japanese beef bowl chain’s near-identical demon grater onioroshi ponzu gyudon is the best?
What’s the best way to spend 1,000 yen at Daiso Japan?
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Majority of Japanese women in survey regret marrying their husband, but that’s only half the story
Giant hotel rooms in Osaka reflect the new non-niche face of travel in Japan.
Japanese women showing rebounding interest in giving Valentine’s Day chocolate【Survey】
Japan’s kid-friendly ski program is now selling Pikachu snowboards for a limited time only
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
We eat Electrical Udon and Blue Curry while watching guys shoot each other with electricity
We indulge in all-you-can-eat “Navy Curry”, discover the buffet of our dreams
Tokyo Restaurant Serves Sheep Brain Curry, We Investigate
Menya Musashi adds ice cream to curry ramen to make the perfect summer dish
We try a Tokyo luxury hotel’s fancy Cup Noodle buffet items, eat best curry noodles of our lives
Leave a Reply