{"id":27949,"date":"2020-02-26T15:00:02","date_gmt":"2020-02-26T15:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/?p=27949"},"modified":"2023-11-10T06:49:29","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T06:49:29","slug":"tasty-world-of-japanese-hot-pot-nabemono","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/blog\/tasty-world-of-japanese-hot-pot-nabemono\/","title":{"rendered":"The wonderful, tasty world of Japanese hot pot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The world of Japanese hot pot (\u934b\u7269 nabemono <\/em>or \u934b nabe<\/em>) is vast and rich. The word is a combination of kanji<\/em> which means<\/span> \u201ccooking pot\u201d (\u934b, nabe), and \u201cthing\u201d (<\/span>\u7269, <\/span>mono<\/span><\/i>)<\/span>. Simply put, the dish is a delightful mixture of meat, fresh seafood, tofu, seasonal vegetables, and more, cooked in a pot<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are generally two types of nabe soup stocks<\/strong>. One is a lighter stock made with kombu<\/em> seaweed that allows the diner to enjoy the natural taste of the ingredients. The other stock type is more rich, made with miso<\/em>, soy sauce, or dashi<\/em>. The pots are an equally important part of the experience as well. You will often find nabe prepared in clay pots (\u571f\u934b, <\/span>donabe<\/span><\/i>) or cast iron (\u9244\u934b, <\/span>tetsunabe<\/span><\/i>).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Japanese<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Where to enjoy different Japanese hot pot flavors?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While nabe (Japanese hot pot) can be a very customizable dining experience when made on your own, this guide introduces the regional<\/a> variations<\/strong> of Japanese hot pot, featuring local delicacies and prized ingredients. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hokkaido Region <\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Kani Nabe <\/b>(\u30ab\u30cb\u934b) features fresh crab and winter vegetables in dashi made from seaweed or bonito fish flakes. Hokkaido is famous for its seafood, which means it\u2019s not a surprise to see seafood included in their local hot pots. One of the reasons why Hokkaido seafood tastes so good is because the region is much colder, and fish need a higher fat content to survive in the region\u2019s cold waters. When done with the meal, diners will often make a porridge called \u201c<\/span>kani zosui<\/span><\/i>\u201d can be made with leftover broth by mixing in cooked rice and beaten egg. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ishikari Nabe <\/b>(\u77f3\u72e9\u934b) is named after the longest river on the island and is based on a traditional fisherman\u2019s stew. This savory nabe is made with miso broth and features Hokkaido salmon, tofu<\/em>, Chinese cabbages, and onions. Ishikari Nabe<\/a> is also believed to have been enjoyed since the Meiji period. Over the years, there has been an effort to promote the local nabe. One restaurant in Ishikari City has even registered September 15 as the Ishikari Nabe day in 2008. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tohoku Region<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Kiritanpo<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kiritanpo Nabe<\/b> (\u304d\u308a\u305f\u3093\u307d \u934b) comes from the northeastern Tohoku region of Japan and is named after the spear-like rice cakes that are the stars of the show. The rice cakes are freshly made by pounding boiled rice into a paste then placed on cedar wood skewers and grilled over fire. After toasting, the cakes are cut into smaller pieces into the miso-based nabe. The toasty and smoky flavors are paired with local fowl, burdock root, maitake<\/em> mushrooms, Japanese leek, and herbs.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kansai Region<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yudofu Nabe<\/b> (\u6e6f\u8c46\u8150\u934b) from Kyoto <\/span>is a simple type of Japanese hot pot, made with hot water, kombu seaweed, and silken tofu. Don\u2019t underestimate the simplicity of the dish though. Tofu in Kyoto is freshly hand-made and regarded as some of the best in the world. For the yudofu<\/em> nabe, fresh tofu is simmered in broth and then eaten with ponzu<\/em> sauce and <\/span>yuzu-kosho<\/span><\/i>, a condiment of grated yuzu citrus and chili pepper. Plus, this nabe is vegetarian-friendly. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hari-hari nabe <\/b>(\u306f\u308a\u306f\u308a\u934b) is nabe from Osaka traditionally made with whale meat and Japanese mustard greens. The name \u201chari-hari\u201d is an onomatopoeia referring to the sound of chewing the mustard greens. This dish was popular when whale meat was easy to get and even enjoyed by everyday people. Today, with limitations on commercial whaling and scarcity, people often substitute with pork and duck. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kyushu Region<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mizutaki Nabe <\/b>(\u6c34\u708a\u304d\u934b) is Fukuoka\u2019s nabe which is made by simmering a mixture of Kyushu\u2019s local chicken, Hakata spring onions, and seasonal vegetables. The name translates to \u201cyou boil from the water,\u201d also making a simple dish, but with a flavorful reward. Fukuoka is also known for other tasty foods including Motsunabe<\/em>, a rich Japanese hot pot featuring beef and pork offal. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kanto Region<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Anko Nabe <\/b>(\u3042\u3093\u3053\u3046\u934b) is from Ibaraki, a prefecture in Kanto <\/span>that\u2019s celebrated for <\/span>anko<\/span><\/i>, the prized monkfish that comes fresh from the region\u2019s coasts. The fish is quite rare and expensive, its flavor is sweet, and its texture is similar to lobster meat. Anko nabe is best enjoyed during the winter season made with the skin and meat of the monkfish, along with vegetables, and of course broth. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the best things about Japanese hot pot is that the soup gets more delicious over time, absorbing flavors from vegetables, meat, and seafood. At the very end, people often add rice or noodles<\/a> to the pot to enjoy the dish to its fullest. <\/span>This guide is just a taste of the many variations of nabemono<\/em> in Japan. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about food, life, and culture in Japan, keep up with the Go! Go! Nihon blog<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The world of Japanese hot pot (\u934b\u7269 nabemono or \u934b nabe) is vast and rich. The word is a combination of kanji which means \u201ccooking pot\u201d (\u934b, nabe), and \u201cthing\u201d (\u7269, mono). Simply put, the dish is a delightful mixture of meat, fresh seafood, tofu, seasonal vegetables, and more, cooked in a pot. There are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":111191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[399],"tags":[668,683,685],"class_list":["post-27949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-drink","tag-eating","tag-tradition","tag-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27949"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27949\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":111227,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27949\/revisions\/111227"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}