Kikkoman Corporation

Nabe are hot-pots—perhaps Japan’s most warming and convivial specialty: these are rich, bubbling one-pot dishes that represent a centuries-long tradition of rural families gathering around a large nabe pot suspended over the hearth.

Nabe is but a single word covering a wide range of dishes. Ingredients vary considerably, and may include any combination of fish, meat or vegetables; these basic elements are simply cut up and may be cooked in dashi stock or in soups seasoned with soy sauce or miso. Nabe are considered balanced and nutritious, as meat and vegetables may be eaten together. Some well-known regional nabe include ishikari-nabe from Hokkaido with salmon, and Akita’s kiritanpo-nabe, which features rice.

As the country urbanized in the nineteenth century, it became common to serve nabe at the dining table. It wasn’t long before sharing nabe among several people grew as a popular eating style, and these meals-in-a-pot became more firmly recognized within the Japanese food culture. Nabe restaurants specializing in tori-no-mizutaki (chicken) or anko-nabe (monkfish) were established, and continue to flourish today.

Nabe is best known for its “cook it yourself” method: diners gather around an ample pot that sits atop a cooking element at the table and gradually add ingredients to the soup. Sometimes a nabe that has already been prepared is brought to the table, but even then the dish continuously simmers over heat, with broth and ingredients added throughout the meal.

As easy as it is to prepare, however, nabe ingredients are not all tossed into the pot at once. Those that require longer cooking times, or those that add flavor to the broth are added first, while ingredients that lose flavor if overcooked are added last. When all the ingredients in the nabe have been eaten, the meal wraps up with rice or udon noodles added to the rich, flavorful broth that remains.

Recently, the traditional hot-pot has seen some new taste twists, such as curry-flavored nabe, soymilk nabe and tomato nabe. There are even one-person nabe meals available if one happens to be dining alone.

Whether traditional or innovative, however, Japan’s nabe will always be considered a warming winter food, one that serves up a taste of nutritious and delicious togetherness.