Japanese Food Tips

There are more opportunities to eat nabe (Japanese one-pot dish) during the winter season in Japan. Nabe is popular as sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, yose-nabe (all-in-one pot), tori no mizutaki (chicken one-pot) and so on. One feature of nabe is that foodstuffs are cooked in one pot at the table, and can be eaten while warm from the pot. It is just right for the cold season. One more feature is that it can be eaten directly from the pot by 4 to 6 persons. Therefore, it is symbolic of a good time with one's family or relatives at home, or of friendship with friends and colleagues at a restaurant. It might be surprising for people who do not have the habit of sharing one dish. Conversely, I had an episode that surprised me. When we ate at a shabu-shabu restaurant in Los Angeles, each of us ate from a small pot instead of one large pot. If a Japanese serves you nabe for the first time, do not be surprised because it is a symbol of fellowship.