When winter comes around, don’t you just crave something warming like hot pot? This winter, the hot pot everyone’s talking about is not just delicious but it’s also healthy: fermented hot pot. If you’re wondering just what on earth that is, read on.
What’s a Fermented Hot Pot?
Fermented foods not only take the natural flavor of foods and add a full-bodied aroma, richness and deep umami flavor, they will also boost your metabolism and improve your gut health. These foods have been gaining attention in recent years for being both tasty and healthy.
The trend that’s heating up this 2019-2020 winter is fermented hot pot that uses these fermented foods. In addition to hot pots that use familiar fermented foods like natto, kimchi and cheese, there are so many different types of hot pot, like one that uses miso broth with sake lees, a healthy and popular ingredient that will pleasantly warm your body to the core.
The Fermented Beauty Motsunabe - A Dream of Combination Motsunabe-style Hot Pot and 3 Popular Fermented Foods
The dream collaboration between three popular fermented foods that go outstandingly together (natto, kimchi, and cheese) and motsunabe has been achieved with the Fermented Beauty Motsunabe (1,590 JPY excl. tax)*. The soup also contains miso which is being talked about recently as great for your body by stimulating your gut health, completing this beautifying hot pot. They say the collagen in this dish will improve your skin.
*Price per person, 2 person minimum
You can eat the Fermented Beauty Motsunabe at the following restaurant.
Haraguroya (Locations in Shinagawa, Shimbashi, Tamachi, and Yokohama)
The Snow Crab, Autumn Salmon and Salmon Roe Robust Unrefined Miso Hot Pot - A Flavor that Reminds Japanese People of Their Grandma’s Cooking
Enjoy extravagant crab, salmon, and salmon roe in a rich unrefined miso-based soup in this intriguing Snow Crab, Autumn Salmon, and Salmon Roe Robust Unrefined Miso Hot Pot (2,380 JPY excl. tax)*. This sweet and healing unrefined miso soup has its roots in the famous Ishikari stew from Hokkaido. The sweet scent of sake that starts drifting in the air the moment it begins heating and the sweetness of the fresh autumn salmon somehow reminds many Japanese of home.
*Price per person, 2 person minimum
You can eat the Snow Crab, Autumn Salmon, and Salmon Roe Robust Unrefined Miso Hot Pot at the following restaurant.
Hot Pot Specialty Restaurant Akutori Daikan Nabenoshin (Shibuya)
Fermented Broth of Ginjo Sake Lees and Barley Miso - Packed with Plenty of Seafood Extracts
The Fermented Broth of Ginjo Sake Lees and Barley Miso is an extravagant seafood hot pot with a miso-based soup made with ginjo sake lees and unprocessed additive-free barley miso and snow crab, sea bream, splendid alfonsino, shrimp, and clams (1,780 JPY excl. tax)*. After devouring this hot pot, it's recommended to make zosui (a rice soup made with pre-cooked rice) with the rich seafood umami soup.
*Price per person, 2 person minimum
You can eat the Fermented Broth of Ginjo Sake Lees and Barley Miso at the following restaurant.
Modern Japanese Restaurant Bishoku Maimon (Locations in Shinagawa and Roppongi)
Korea x Italy Jigae Mozzarella Cheese Hot Pot - Rich and Cheesy Yet Healthy
The Korea x Italy Jigae Mozzarella Cheese Hot Pot (1,810 JPY excl. tax)* is an outstanding combination of two fermented classics: rich umami cheese and sour kimchi. The spicy kimchi coated in the smooth-tasting cheese has a flavor that grows on you. Sitting around this hot pot with good company in cold weather is enough to warm your body and soul.
*Price per person, 2 person minimum
You can eat the Korea x Italy Jigae Mozzarella Cheese Hot Pot at the following restaurant.
Kyushu Kurodaiko Ikebukuro
A Soup Masterpiece - Rich Unrefined Mizutaki Soup With a Charcoal Aroma
A hundred Hinai-Rhode Island Red-cross chickens are slowly simmered for about 10 hours to create an intensely umami chicken soup for this popular mizutaki hot pot. Unrefined miso is added, building a rich, deep hot pot dish: the Hinai-Rhode Island Red Unrefined Miso Charcoal Mizutaki Hot Pot (3,800 JPY excl. tax)*. The soup is rich in collagen and hyaluronic acid so your skin will be looking amazing the day after eating this hot pot. Dip the lightly chargrilled Hinai-Rhode Island Red chicken in the unrefined miso cooked over a charcoal flame for a really rich enjoyable flavor.
*Price per dish, 1 person minimum
You can eat the Hinai-Rhode Island Red Unrefined Miso Charcoal Mizutaki Hot Pot at the following restaurant.
Yakitori Shinsaibashi Imaiya Osaka Shinsaibashi
*Offerings vary depending on the location. Check out their web page for more details.
On a cold winter's day, gather round a nice warm hot pot and pass the time. This is a part of culinary culture you can only experience in Japan, so be sure to try it.
*Please note that the information in this article is from the time of writing or publication and may differ from the latest information.
