When it’s cold outside, one of the easiest and most comforting go-to dishes for people in Japan is nabe. Having originated in the Jōmon period (14,000 BCE to 300 BCE), it’s also one of the oldest types of food in Japan.
Nabe (鍋, なべ) is a Japanese hot pot dish consisting of meat and vegetables that are simmered in a broth in a pot, which is also called “nabe”.
This balanced meal is popular in Japan for its versatility since you can put lots of different ingredients inside, and it is delicious yet easy to make. Simply heat the broth, add the meat and veggies, and let it simmer until cooked. After that, take out what you want to eat into a small bowl and enjoy it with a side of rice.
Nabe is also easy to share and is a common meal for families to enjoy around the table, especially in winter, with everyone taking what they want to eat out of the same pot.
After the meat and vegetables are done and only broth remains, nabe tends to be finished off by adding either ramen or udon noodles to the broth, or cooked rice and cheese to make a risotto.
There are various types of nabe in Japan, so in this article, I’ll dive into popular nabe dishes that are enjoyed across the country.
Table of Contents
1. Yosenabe (寄せ鍋, よせなべ)
This is the quintessential nabe that consists of a dashi broth made with konbu (also romanized as kombu) or bonito.
People usually place tofu, chicken, seafood, mushrooms, and Chinese cabbage into this type of nabe, but there are no hard rules. It’s truly a stew made with whatever you have on hand!
2. Tōnyū Nabe (豆乳鍋, とうにゅうなべ)
Tōnyū nabe contains a soy milk (tōnyū) broth and dashi, so it tastes creamy and a little sweet. Common ingredients for this nabe include thinly-sliced pork, carrots, and both soft and fried tofu.
Sometimes people like to add chili oil, miso, or white sesame paste on top to give it a little more kick. It’s also recommended to finish off the broth by adding rice topped with cheese.
3. Kimchi Nabe (キムチ鍋)
This is one of my favorite kinds of nabe and it is quite popular throughout Japan. Unsurprisingly, the broth contains kimchi, so it’s red, and a little sour and spicy.
Typically, this nabe has thinly-sliced pork, scallions, bean sprouts, Chinese cabbage, carrots, and tofu.
Although this nabe can be finished with ramen or udon noodles, people also like to enjoy the remaining broth with rice and cheese.
4. Chanko Nabe (ちゃんこ鍋)
Chanko refers to meals prepared by sumo wrestlers. To provide the necessary nutrition for the wrestlers, chanko nabe is packed with chicken, meatballs, seafood, tofu, and vegetables such as mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, and carrots, which are all simmered in a chicken-based broth.
Although this dish was originally made for sumo wrestlers, it is also commonly eaten by the general public nowadays.
Interestingly, people tend to avoid making chanko nabe using meat from animals that walk on all fours, such as pork and beef, since being on all fours is associated with losing a game in sumo.
5. Curry Nabe (カレー鍋)
As the name suggests, this is a nabe with a broth consisting of dashi and curry roux. Although it has curry in it, it has a milder taste and is commonly eaten with sausage, potatoes, and tomatoes, making it popular with kids.
This is another broth that people like to finish with rice topped with cheese.
6. Motsunabe (もつ鍋)
This nabe contains pork or beef offal, called motsu (もつ) in Japanese, which is cooked in a dashi broth with Chinese cabbage, green onion, and tofu. Since the dish is packed with collagen, it’s considered quite healthy and good for beauty.
Motsunabe originated in Fukuoka prefecture in the Shōwa period (1926-1989). It is believed that men working in coal mines in the area needed something cheap to eat that gave them energy. At the time, offal was discarded, but instead they decided to use it to make motsunabe, a nutritious yet budget-friendly dish that gave them much-needed stamina.
7. Mizutaki (水炊き, みずたき)
Mizutaki nabe consists of bone-in chicken and vegetables simmered in water, hence the name “mizutaki”, meaning “cooked in water”.
Once cooked, the ingredients are eaten with ponzu sauce or sesame seed sauce (gomadare, ごまだれ).
This is another nabe local to Fukuoka.
8. Shabu-shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ)
Shabu-shabu is a popular dish on its own but it is also a type of nabe. The name shabu-shabu comes from the motion made when swishing something in the water.
Unlike other kinds of nabe where the meat simmers in the pot, thinly-sliced raw pork or beef is briefly swished in a dashi broth made with kelp just until it is cooked. The meat is then dipped in a sauce such as ponzu or goma (sesame) and eaten.
However, although the meat is cooked quickly, the vegetables (Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, beansprouts, leeks) and tofu simmer in the pot like in traditional nabe dishes.
Below is a helpful video on how to enjoy shabu-shabu.
9. Oden (おでん)
For this dish, various ingredients such as boiled eggs, daikon radish, konnyaku (konjac or “devil’s tongue”), fried tofu, and chikuwa (a type of Japanese fish cake) are slowly simmered in a seasoned kelp and bonito broth with soy sauce.
Sometimes these ingredients are skewered before being cooked to help make it easier to take out of the pot and eat. After being cooked, the oden contents are commonly eaten with a little bit of karashi (mustard).
There are regional differences in terms of types of ingredients and even the soy sauce that’s used. For instance, nabe in Okinawa contains pig’s feet and Okinawa soba!
Oden can be found at convenience stores across Japan during fall and winter, as well as some food stalls and izakaya.
10. Sukiyaki (すき焼き)
Sukiyaki consists of thinly-sliced wagyu beef and vegetables that simmer in a pot with a sweet sauce of mirin, soy sauce, and sugar.
Everything is then dipped into beaten raw egg, which helps cut the strong flavor of the sauce, before being eaten. If you’re not a fan of raw eggs, it’s completely fine to skip dipping but you might not be able to eat as much due to the strong taste.
There are regional differences in terms of how exactly sukiyaki is made. In the Kanto region, the ingredients are added to the sauce all at once whereas in Kansai, the meat is grilled separately, much like yakiniku, before the sauce and then vegetables are added.
Since sukiyaki uses high-quality beef, it tends to be eaten during celebrations and special occasions in Japan. This may be why sukiyaki is one of the most-liked nabe dishes in the country.
Where to find Japanese hot pot in Japan
Hopefully, you’ve spotted some nabe favorites in this look at Japanese hot pot or found some new kinds you would like to try. If you’re in Japan and looking to have nabe, popular chain restaurants include Kisoji for shabu-shabu and sukiyaki, and Shabu-shabu Onyasai for shabu-shabu.
There are also packaged nabe broths in dozens of flavors for sale at supermarkets to make cooking at home even easier (although it can be hard to decide which one to get!).
Kay is a Canadian freelance translator and writer who has been in Japan for more than a decade. Having lived in the Chugoku, Kanto, and now the Kansai regions, she hopes to share their various local cuisine on JFG.
She also writes about her experiences being a mother in Japan on her website, Tiny Tot in Tokyo.