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  7. Hamonabe (Hot pot with conger pike)

Hamonabe (Hot pot with conger pike) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Osaka Prefecture

    Hamonabe (Hot pot with conger pike)

Hamonabe (Hot pot with conger pike)

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  • Main lore areas

    Senshu Region

  • Main ingredients used

    Conger pike, Onion, Potato

  • History/origin/related events

    The pike conger, known as "Hamo" in Japanese, has been inhabiting Osaka Bay since ancient times, and was distributed in Osaka around the middle of the modern period. In Osaka and Kyoto, it is an essential ingredient for summer festivals and is renowned as a seasonal fish during the summer. However, "Hamo" caught after spawning in the autumn, when it has gained extra fat, is also considered delicious. Due to its densely packed small bones, it is necessary to perform a technique called "Honekiri," which is to cut these bones by making knife cuts at extremely narrow intervals, leaving the fish skin.
    In the Senshu area, which faces Osaka Bay and is blessed with seafood, "Hamo" has long been a familiar ingredient, and "Hamo nabe(=hot pot with pike conger)" has been a popular dish. The head and bones of "Hamo" are used to make Dashi(=Japanese soup stock), and onions and potatoes are added as ingredients in the Senshu style. The dish is unique to the Senshu area, which is said to be the birthplace of onion cultivation in Japan. The sweetness of the Senshu onions spreads throughout the pot and goes well with mild-flavored "Hamo ".

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    The peak season for pike conger (hamo) is from June to August before spawning or from October to November after spawning. While not commonly found in the Kanto region, in Osaka, pike conger already done "Honekiri" is readily available in supermarkets, making it easy for households to enjoy pike conger hot pot.

  • How to eat

    Create Dashi with Kombu(=kelp), pike conger bones, and head, adding seasonings such as sake, mirin(=sweet rice wine), and soy sauce. Include ingredients like onions, potatoes, and shiitake mushrooms. The choice of ingredients is flexible, but onions are essential. Once the vegetables are cooked, after doing "Honekiri," add bite-sized pieces of pike conger. When the ingredients are thoroughly cooked, the dish is ready.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Overview of the people who have passed down the tradition, preservation groups, use of SNS, modern efforts such as commercialization, etc.)
    It is served not only in the Senshu area, but also in seafood restaurants and "Izakaya(=(Japanese-style pubs)" throughout the prefecture. It is also popular as a home-style dish.
    Some municipalities in the Senshu area, such as Kishiwada City and Misaki Town, offer hamonabe as a return gift for the Hometown Tax Donation.

RECIPE

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • Conger pike 1
  • Onion 2 large
  • Potato 1
  • Dashi (=Japanese soup stock) 3 cups
  • Light soy sauce 6 tbsp.
  • Mirin(=sweet rice wine) 4 tbsp.
  • Sake 4 tbsp.

How to cook

  • 1. Cut the pike conger, which has already done 'Honekiri,' into pieces of 3 cm width.

  • 2. Cut onions in half vertically and then slice into approximately 6mm widths. Cut potatoes in half vertically and then slice into approximately 1cm widths.

  • 3. Bring dashi, light soy sauce, mirin, and sake to a boil in a pot. Add onions and potatoes, and once it comes to a boil, add pike conger. Enjoy by sipping the juice.
    Optionally, sprinkle "Mitsuba(=Japanese parcely)" on top.

provider : Yumiko Yamanaka

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

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