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s you must be aware Hakuba is chilly in winter, and, in cold weather, Nabe is the ideal dish for warming you up. It is fast and easy to make a one-pot hot meal. An wide range of ingredients can be used to prepare nabe. It typically has one chief ingredient, seafood or meat, boiled together with tofu and seasonal vegetables in a single pot. The ingredients are cut into small pieces for the purpose of cooking. The Japanese make use of an earthen pot or ‘donabe,’ made particularly for cooking nabe. For heating the nabe , a portable burner is put in the center of the table; the donabe is placed on it; after this, the family and friends gather round for the humble dinner. The one who serves is called ‘Nabe master’ or ‘Nabe-bugyo’, on the basis of the official positions of authority that were outlined in the Edo Period (1603-1867). The task of the Nabebugyo is to add new ingredients, as the pot empties, and, also to control the cooking and taste of the nabe. Who is going to be the Nabe-bugyo on your table for tonight? ‘Mizutaki’ is the most common type of nabe. It is an extremely simple, in which ingredients (mostly chicken and seasonal vegetables) are stewed in unseasoned water. It is eaten with a dip called “ponzu” sauce, which is a citrus-seasoned soy based. Though, recent changing trends in Nabe have offered a wider variety to Japanese people. ‘Sukiyaki’ is one of the most wellliked hot pot dishes in Hakuba. It has a sweet- salty flavor, which is slightly like teriyaki sauce, but, with a mix of vegetable and beef. However, the dish has its own Sukiyaki flavor that people love a lot, particularly if wagyu beef is made use of. These days lots of other diverse versions of nabe, like, curry nabe, kimchi nabe, dumpling nabe, soymilk nabe, ramen nabe and giblet nabe can be seen on the dining tables of homes. ‘Chankonabe’ is another well-known version that sumo wrestlers consume e ve r y d ay. I n s p i te o f w h a t yo u may think, as sumo wrestlers are so massive, chanko nabe is quite healthy; as, it consists of a lot of chicken, vegetables and tofu. As chanko nabe
HOW TO MAKE NABE Ingredients • 1/2 Chinese cabbage (approx. 600g) • 400g thinly sliced pork, chicken, beef or seafood •Shitake Mushrooms • 360ml dashi stock • 2 tsp soy sauce • 1 tbsp mirin • yuzu peel • pinch of ground black pepper
is so delicious, they can just keep digging into it to get big and strong. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of chanko nabe restaurants, which the sumo wrestlers have opened up after their retirement. It is important to keep in mind that the best part of nabe comes at the end. A lot of people just love the meal-ending or ‘shime,’ customs. Udon noodles or rice is added to soak the remaining soup stock and are then eaten. It has an extremely rich taste of all the flavors that went into the nabe. It is somewhat like risotto. A number of people even make use of pasta and put in cheese for shime. Nabe not only warms you up in the winter, but is also a way to have a social gathering in Japan. Japanese love to have nabe parties with the family and friends at their home. Everybody takes pleasure in sharing food and conversation over a single pot is considered to strengthen relationships. So, on your visit to Hakuba, try some nabe to warm your heart and soul.
HAKUBA RESTAURANT & BAR GUIDE 2017-2018
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