Niigataology

Description: Anko Nabe あんこう鍋 is a Seafood Hot Pot and uses Monkfish as its base. Traditionally regular Monkfish is known as Higashi no Yokozuna (東の横綱). It is a seasonal fish of Winter and is praised by widely known foodie Kitaoji Rosanjin (北大路魯山人) that explains about Monkfish Handling of the slippery and slimy is called "Tsurushi-giri" (吊るし切り). The Seven Monkfish parts that are enjoyed the most are the: meat, skin, fins, gills, ovaries, stomach, and lastly the liver that is known as "Sea Foie Gras" or in Japanese "Umi no Foagura" (海のフォワグラ). Traditionally the bones are not used, but in Niigata Bones and Collagen are part of the cooking process. Name: Anko Nabe is Monkfish Hot Pot and the name is "Anko" (あんこう) and is reference to the monkfish rather than the words other meaning, which is bean paste. The word "Nabe" (鍋) is the general term for Japanese hot pot, so its Monkfish Hot Pot that is found in places such as Murakami and Itoigawa i...

Niigata Taranabe 新潟タラ鍋, the word Tara means fish in reference to the cod and nabe is the dish. The kanji character for cod, 鱈, combines the characters for "fish" (魚) and "snow" (雪), referring to the fish's white and flaky flesh. Cod meat is soft and low in fat, so it goes well with hot pot dishes rather than sashimi, and is best eaten piping hot. This fish lives in the deep seas with a few areas that take a great interest in the Cod Liver and Cod Stomach that are added to Hot Pot. The reason it is mostly consumed within the prefecture is because it does not keep well and it cannot be transported far away. There is Taranabe where it is using all the parts of the Cod and then Cod with Monkfish Nabe that uses the liver to make another flavor variety.  In Niigata, Izumozaki Town has a local dish "Tarajiru" (cod soup) that has been eaten for generations. The flavor is based off the fish itself and the broth has sake and miso added for flavor and to make it ...

Description: Gyunabe is a hot pot dish that is under the nabe-classification of meat hot pot. The word "Gyu" means meat and "nabe" is hot pot dish and when it is from Niigata people will sometimes call it “Niigata Gyunabe”. If it is being generalized and not Niigata specific it is under the umbrella of Japanese-italian cuisine referred to as “Itaria Gyunabe”.  Not Sukiyaki: What makes something beef stew is when a Fatty-sauce is added as it is a "Simmering Nabe" as the base and Kansai-style Sukiyaki has its bases in Sugar-Shoyu and it involves something "Grilled" according to Araiya (Yokohama) that has more than 120 years of history. Kanto-style uses fats and sugars, meanwhile Chubu the area Niigata is in has yet to come to an agreement of the still developing style of Chubu-style Sukiyaki.  Regional: Gyunabe in Niigata is different as it has its own variation that is different from Kanagawa Gyunabe and Yokohama Gyunabe that are also known for t...

Description:  Niigata Nabe 新潟鍋 is the Nabe that is eaten in Niigata Prefecture. As the days go from warm weather and it starts to grow colder, there are ways to deal with cravings for feeling warm, and having a nice bit of comforting food. It is something that can be shared, brings community together, and nothing says winter quite like a steaming hot pot. In Niigata, a region that has an assortments of blessings with its rich natural resources, there’s no shortage of ingredients perfect for nabe, so it comes to no surprise that there are varieties that are made in homes and restaurants that are notable. With incredibly fresh seafood, vibrant vegetables, and high-quality local meats, nabe dishes are elevated in an absolutely delicious that uses flavors that are not afraid of the spicy, the strong, and the salty. Season: Warm liquids start simmering more as winter comes closer and the season for Nabe is winter, as well as Oden, which means all sorts of restaurants start changing thei...