Nabemono: Japanese Hot Pot

Need something to warm you up during the cold winter season? Nabemono, or Japanese hot pots, are the best way to warm your soul through your stomach! With many different types of namemono and many different places to try them, nabemono is a great way to experience Japanese winter food culture!

With hot broth and a mixture of healthy and delicious ingredients, nabemono is the best thing to come home to after a long winter day or eat when you’re feeling under the weather. This hot pot is called nabemono because nabe means a cooking pot and mono refers to “things” or “stuff” in Japanese.

Usually, the pot is made of cast iron or clay. This hot pot of stuff is often kept on a portable stove in the middle of the table during a meal in modern Japan to keep the food warm and shared amongst the family. Nabemono is made with either lightly flavored stock or strongly flavored stock. Lightly flavored stock such as mizutaki and Yudofu (hot tofu) are usually focused on the solid ingredients that are then further flavored by dipping in a sauce. Strongly flavored stock, usually made with dashi, miso, or regular sweet soy sauces are eaten all together without any dipping sauces.

Writer: Kayley Hill