Chanko-nabe

Nowadays,Chanko-nabe is a very popular winter meal in every house in Japan, but formerly it was a special food for sumo wrestlers.

Firstly it is high calorie content gives the wrestlers bulk.

Chanko-nabe also has special significance in that it contains chicken which walks on 2 legs rather than 4.By eating chanko-nabe regularly the wrestlers hope to absorb the chicken's powerful 2 legged posture and balance.As you may know if a wrestler is forced to his hands and knees(like a four legged animal)he loses the match.

In old time, it took time and effort to make the special dashi(stock)in which the meat and vegetables a cooked.But nowadays,most of Japanese house wife can choose from an abundance of prepared nabe dashi which are sold in every supermarket.There are at least 30 different varieties ranging from miso,kimchee,soy-milk and curry to name a few.

Today I would like to introduce the basic, shoyu flavoured version.

In Japan,each family adds their own favorite vegetables according to personal preference.But some of the most common vegetables are chinese cabbage,carrot,daikon,shitake and enoki mushrooms,mizuna,bean sprouts,tofu,spring onions.Meat is also a matter of personal preference,commonly including thinly slice pork,bite sized chunks of chicken thigh.

In Japan,it is easy to buy thinly slice pork and beef.