What is in season in Fukuoka, and what to order when the market changes.
SpringIn season now
- Tai (sea bream)
- Genkai Sea sea bream runs March to May. Spring takenoko bamboo shoots arrive at the same window.
- Sakura-mochi
- Pink sakura-leaf wrapped rice cakes through the cherry-blossom weeks in late March and early April.
- Iso-mono
- Shellfish run on the Itoshima coast in May, with oysters closing the winter run and shellfish boats opening.
SummerIn season now
- Hamo (pike conger)
- Hamo runs June through August. Used in summer kaiseki at Aji Takebayashi and across the city.
- Shaved ice (kakigori)
- Shaved-ice kakigori on every cafe menu from July to August. Mango and matcha are the orders.
- Hakata Gion Yamakasa food carts
- Festival food carts in Hakata grid July 1 to 15 for Yamakasa, the densest summer street eating.
Festivals this seasonHakata Gion YamakasaExpected 1-15 Jul 2027
AutumnIn season now
- Matsutake
- Matsutake mushroom on kaiseki menus October to November, the densest autumn ingredient.
- Shinmai (new rice)
- Shinmai new rice arrives in October. The Yanagibashi stalls swap to it within the week.
- Saba (mackerel)
- Goma saba, the canonical Hakata mackerel-sesame raw dish, peaks in autumn through to early winter.
Festivals this seasonMeat and Wine FukuokaExpected 19-23 Sep 2027
WinterIn season now
- Itoshima oysters
- Itoshima oyster huts open October to March. The town runs forty huts down the coast at peak.
- Fugu (puffer fish)
- Fugu sashimi runs November through March in fine-dining counters across Akasaka and Yakuin.
- Motsunabe
- Motsunabe hotpot fills every Yamanaka and Rakutenchi branch through winter. Miso and soy bases both.
Seasonal: tours, tastings and classes in Fukuoka
