Nabé: Japan's Winter Hot Pot
When the weather in Japan gets cold, it's time to break out the hot pots! For the Japanese, there's nothing better than a bubbling hot pot, pumped full of vegetables, fish, or meat, shared with family or friends around the table. This traditional winter dish, known as nabé (a word that refers to both the food itself and the earthenware pot it's cooked in), is something everyone looks forward to as the temperatures drop.
Yasahiro in The Daydreamer Detective and The Daydreamer Detective Braves the Winter loves a good hot pot dish. In fact, he helps his mother make one when he and Mei go to visit his parents — on a semi-disastrous trip, I might add.
The Basics of Nabé
Nabé is usually comprised of a few basic ingredients: a broth, a protein (meat, fish, and/or tofu), and vegetables. Sometimes noodles or rice can be added for extra starch to fill you up. Items are added to the pot before any cooking begins. The ingredients at the bottom are the ones that need to cook the longest, and everything else is layered on top. Stock is added, the heat is turned on, and the meal starts to cook.
I've made a few hot pots and the most labor-intensive part is all the chopping. Once that's complete, the actual cooking itself is easy and quick. Before you know it, dinner is served!
Regional Varieties
Many regions of Japan have different types of broth and ingredients that are signature for their area. In Hokkaido, Ishikari nabé has a rich miso and dashi broth with potatoes, Napa cabbage, tofu, negi (a thick green onion), enoki mushrooms, and salmon. Tonyu nabé has a chicken stock and soy milk base that is much loved by people looking for something a little different.
But the most popular version of nabé is Chanko nabé, the massive hot pot soup eaten by sumo wrestlers to support their training and weight gain. Chanko nabé is absolutely bursting with ingredients — chicken, beef, seafood, tons of vegetables, and a savory broth. It'll make you full in no time. Restaurants across the country specialize in sumo-themed Chanko nabé, complete with tiny sumo ring centerpieces in the dining area.
The Social Ritual
Nabé has a long, rich history in Japan, harking back to a time when homes were heated by a fire pit in the center of the house — a perfect place to hang an earthenware pot and keep food bubbling all day. Nowadays, portable gas burners are a popular sight in both homes and restaurants, sitting in the middle of the table.
Because everyone uses their own chopsticks to grab ingredients from the central pot, nabé is usually enjoyed with good friends and family — people you like and trust. It's a deeply communal meal, one that is as much about the company as the food. A cold beer or some saké alongside makes for a perfect evening.
Give it a shot sometime soon!