Two summers ago, while staying at Maruseppu Onsen’s Maure Villa, I discovered “Okhotsk Sandai-sho.” Between the label design and the description, I knew it had to be delicious, so I bought some as a souvenir. Back in Tokyo, it was so good that I tried to find more, but it was nowhere to be found—until I stumbled upon a tiny shop in Togoshi Ginza. I visited a few times and even became friends with the owner because of it!
However, lately, due to rising ingredient costs, the shop in Togoshi hasn’t been able to restock it. It’s still impossible to find online, so I was debating whether to drive all the way to Maure Villa during my stay in Higashikawa this winter, even though it’s quite a trek (yes, it’s *that* good lol).
Christmas in Higashikawa was unusually warm this year, and unfortunately, the local Canmore Ski Village was closed as a result. Since I was in Hokkaido for the winter, I looked for other open ski resorts nearby, but most around Asahikawa were totally shut down. That’s when I checked Rock Valley Ski Resort in Engaru, and it turned out they were partially open! Since Engaru is close to Maure Villa, I decided to head out for a ski trip.
After enjoying some skiing, I called Maure Villa just in case to check their stock of Okhotsk Sandai-sho, only to find out they haven’t been able to get any for a while… Bummer. For a split second, I thought about driving all the way to Kitami to visit a Chinese restaurant called “Shouanki” that actually makes the sauce, but it was just too far, so I gave up.
While researching Okhotsk Sandai-sho, I found a similar product called “Okhotsk-sho,” which seems relatively easy to find online. I’d decided to try that if I couldn’t get the “Sandai-sho” version. As it turns out, the roadside station next to Engaru Rock Valley Ski Resort had it in stock, so I picked one up.
Like the Sandai-sho, it has a rich umami flavor and is delicious, but this one is a bit oilier. Even though I said the umami is just as strong, I still personally prefer the flavor of the Sandai-sho… I hope it makes a comeback soon; I’d really love to have it again.
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