F L AV O U R S
The joy of NABE When the temperature falls, turn the heat up with Japanese hot pot.
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Full of goodness: Yose nabe Literally meaning “put everything in a pot”, yose nabe brings together all sorts of ingredients, from meat and seafood to vegetables and tofu in stock. Typically cooked in a miso or soya sauce dashi broth, yose nabe is the most basic of nabe yet so flavourful and adaptable too, which is why it is a great nabe dish to make at home. Fill a hot pot with kombu dashi, add chicken, fish, prawns or mushrooms to deepen the flavour, then put in other ingredients in order of cooking time — tofu and carrots first, then Japanese greens and leeks, for instance. Then season with soya sauce, miso, salt or other flavourings. To properly enjoy the soup after eating the ingredients, add rice or udon, stir in a beaten egg and let it cook slightly. Tip: The Japanese prefer not to combine meat with fish as they feel it tastes better with only one.
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ingapore might have steamboat. But not to be forgotten is the Japanese hot pot known as nabe. Japanese hot pot is a real crowd-pleaser, especially when winter comes around. Warming, comforting bowls of nabe are served communal style and eaten with gusto among friends and family. A fuss-free favourite, nabe is also one of the most popular dishes to make at home in Japan. Nothing could be more effortless than throwing together cut ingredients with stock in a clay or iron pot and simmering them on a little cooker over the dinner table. What counts is the freshness of ingredients. Over time, the different regions of Japan have come up with their own specialities of the dish using local ingredients. Take Hokkaido, where seafood and fish have a starring role in the hot pot. Other regional variations include duck or wild boar hot pot in Shikoku, fugu or pufferfish nabe from Chugoku and oyster nabe from Hiroshima. Here are just a handful of the types of nabe to be found in Japan.
