Kiritanpo Nabe (Akita-Style Grilled Rice Stick Hot Pot)
Quick answer
Kiritanpo nabe is a rustic hot pot from Akita Prefecture in northern Japan, built around grilled mashed-rice sticks simmered in chicken broth.
What makes this special
- Mashed rice grilled on skewers absorbs chicken broth in the pot and turns chewy in Akita-style Kiritanpo Nabe.
- Pounded rice wrapped on skewers and grilled until lightly charred before entering the pot
- Charcoal smokiness from the grilled rice sticks dissolves into the chicken broth
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Place 500g warm rice in a large bowl and pound with a mortar or wooden spatu...
- 2 Divide the pounded rice into 4 portions and shape each into a 3cm-diameter, 15cm-long cylinder.
- 3 Heat a pan over medium heat with no oil and grill the kiritanpo on all sides...
Kiritanpo nabe is a rustic hot pot from Akita Prefecture in northern Japan, built around grilled mashed-rice sticks simmered in chicken broth. Freshly cooked rice is pounded in a mortar until partially smooth and sticky, then wrapped around cedar skewers and toasted over charcoal until the surface develops a light char and a faint smokiness. The broth begins with bone-in chicken thighs cooked until the stock is rich and clear, seasoned simply with soy sauce and mirin, then loaded with burdock root, scallions, mushrooms, and Japanese parsley. The kiritanpo sticks are cut into segments and added to the simmering pot, where they absorb the rich broth and soften into a chewy, dumpling-like texture while still holding their cylindrical shape. Akita's harsh mountain winters gave this dish its purpose as a calorie-dense, warming meal built entirely from locally available ingredients. The faint smokiness from the charcoal grilling carries through into the finished broth, and this subtle background note is what distinguishes kiritanpo nabe from similar rice-cake hot pots made elsewhere in Japan.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Place 500g warm rice in a large bowl and pound with a mortar or wooden spatula until the grains are half-mashed and the mixture becomes cohesive.
- 2Step
Divide the pounded rice into 4 portions and shape each into a 3cm-diameter, 15cm-long cylinder.
Press firmly onto skewers so the rice adheres without gaps.
- 3Control
Heat a pan over medium heat with no oil and grill the kiritanpo on all sides until lightly browned with a faint toasty aroma.
- 4Control
Combine 1000ml stock, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, and 0.5 tsp salt in a pot.
Bring to a boil over high heat and skim any foam from the surface.
- 5Control
Add 300g chicken thigh cut into large pieces and 80g burdock sliced diagonally.
Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes until the burdock earthy aroma infuses the broth.
- 6Control
Remove the grilled kiritanpo from the skewers and cut into 3 to 4cm pieces.
Add to the pot along with 2 diagonally sliced scallions and simmer for 5 more minutes until the kiritanpo fully absorbs the broth.
After the steps
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