The Japanese are quite fond of nabemono, or "one pot cooking" (nabe means "pot" in Japanese). In winter when the days grow short and cold, these hearty, warm and healthy meals around a communal tabletop pot become a dinnertime favorite throughout the country. The ingredients are usually simmered in a deep bowl shaped earthenware pot called a donabe.
  In homes and restaurants, family and friends gather around a table piled high with raw ingredientsavegetables and fish or meat, usually whatever the mood calls for and is fresh or at hand. First, a self-appointed "nabe leader" lights a small portable gas burner under the donabe and begins directing the operation. Then, as the broth begins to simmer, the group gets down to the tasty business of nabemono cooking. Typically, each diner places the ingredients of his or her choice into the broth briefly to cook. The food is then placed into individual serving bowls with some broth and topped with condiments.
  There are many regional variations of nabemono, depending on each region's food specialtiesasalmon in a butter-based broth in Hokkaido, or chicken in miso broth in Nagoya, for exampleabut, wherever you may find yourself in Japan in winter, there is no easier, no finer and no more congenial meal to be had here, or maybe anywhere, than nabemono.


Japanese Really Love It!

"Yose-nabe"

Kirin recently completed a survey that showed 60% of Japanese eat nabemono more than once a week. The poll also revealed that the most popular style is Yose-nabe, a hotchpotch of whatever foods are available that does not focus on a particular foodaso, nabemono is also a great way to clean out the refrigerator.

"Oden"

  Japan's second most popular nabemono is Oden, a light broth positively crammed with a selection of fried fish cake, white radish, hard-boiled eggs and seaweed. Oden is also a popular late-night snack among office workers at sidewalk stalls. It is unique among nabemono dishes, as it requires long simmering for the simple ingredients to merge their flavors with the broth.

"Sukiyaki"

  Third in popularity is Sukiyaki. Yes, this famous dish is a variety of nabemono, too! Sukiyaki combines thin strips of tender beef with vegetables in a broth containing liberal amounts of sakeayum! For many visitors to Japan, Sukiyaki is their first and most memorable introduction to Japanese cuisine.
  We might add that Kirin must have been pleased to learn that 90% of those surveyed drink beer with their nabemono. A nice chilled beer is a natural complement to this hot and savory wintertime delight.

Strife around the Pot
As the nabemono pot finally empties, leaving a delicious, rich broth, argument often breaks out over whether to soak up the broth with rice or noodles. Those favoring rice will tell you that cooked rice simmered in the broth and topped with a beaten egg makes a delicious (but not sweet) and highly satisfying porridge. Noodle lovers will counter by saying rice should stay in the bowl where it belongs, but noodles are made for such a rich soup. This argument may well explain the reason why nabemono is eaten two times a week by so many.

Seeking an Origin
The donabe pot itself can be traced back some 10,000 years in Japan, where it was among the country's earliest uses of earthenware. What the ancient Japanese cooked in the pots is still debated, and the meal known as nabemono was first documented around 200 years ago. Prior to that, a rigid class system precluded shared meals, even among family members. But, when Sukiyaki was introduced in the Meiji era, its popularity quickly spread among the common people, who celebrated the camaraderie and the warmth of these simple one-pot meals, especially on cold winter evenings.
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