The great variety of ingredients in Ishikawa has given the prefecture the moniker of "Food Treasury". As Ishikawa is located on the Sea of Japan, it has a flourishing marine products industry; the prefecture's fresh seafood attracts people from all over the country. In addition, the vegetables and fruits grown in Ishikawa's varied nature and climate have given rise to a distinctive food culture. Recently, local vegetables that have been grown in Ishikawa since ancient times have been attracting attention.

Ishikawa's abundant ingredients and traditional culture have given rise to a strong interest in food. There are many dishes that are pleasing both to the taste and to the eye, such as decorative confectionaries and carefully presented Japanese dishes. Ishikawa's refined food preparation techniques are the product of a strong spirit of hospitality.

As Ishikawa is blessed with fertile rice fields irrigated by clean rivers and groundwater, the prefecture has been a sake producing area since ancient times. The prefecture is also a production area for fermented foods that are part of people's daily diet, such as soy sauce made in Ono, Kanazawa City, and Ishikawa's original kabura-zushi (pickled turnip and yellowtail with malted rice). Another local specialty is detoxified blowfish ovary pickled in rice-bran paste.