Yosenabe – Classic Japanese Hot Pot for Shared Cooking

Yosenabe is one of the most versatile and communal Japanese hot pot dishes. There is no single “correct” ingredient list — seasonality, freshness, and the joy of cooking together at the table are what matter most. A fragrant dashi broth, delicate meats, seafood, and vegetables cooked in stages create a dish that celebrates calm, conversation, and pure flavor.

Ingredients (mix and match freely)

Meat
– tender chicken (breast or thigh, boneless)
– optionally other meats of your choice

Seafood
– sablefish
– shrimp
– Manila clams
– alternatively: scallops, mussels

Vegetables
– napa cabbage
– chrysanthemum leaves (shungiku)
– carrot (sliced or cut into ribbons)
– negi (Japanese long onion)

Mushrooms
– shiitake
– shimeji
– enoki

Tofu
– medium-firm tofu, cut into cubes

Broth
– awase dashi (kombu + katsuobushi)

Seasonings
– sake
– mirin
– soy sauce
– salt (to adjust seasoning)

To finish
– finely sliced green onion
– yuzu zest
– shichimi togarashi

Preparation

Step 1: Set the table

Place a portable burner and a nabe pot in the center of the table. Make sure everyone can easily reach it — for larger groups, consider using two pots.
Arrange the ingredients on platters around the pot, grouped by type (meat, seafood, vegetables, mushrooms).

Step 2: Heat the broth

Pour the awase dashi into the pot and bring it to a gentle boil.
If using root vegetables (such as daikon, gobo, or thick carrot slices), add them at this stage as they require longer cooking.

Step 3: Cook in stages — no rushing

Once the broth is simmering, add ingredients in small batches, arranging them in sections:
– napa cabbage in one area
– mushrooms in another
– seafood separately

Do not overcrowd the pot.
Yosenabe is a process — cook, serve, eat, and enjoy the moment. Cover and simmer for 8–10 minutes.
Remember: leafy vegetables and seafood cook much faster than chicken.

Step 4: Serving

Lift the cooked ingredients from the pot and serve immediately — it’s a thoughtful gesture to help those seated nearby.
Yosenabe does not require dipping sauces — the broth carries all the flavor.
Finish with green onion, yuzu zest, and/or shichimi togarashi.

Step 5: Continue with new rounds

Once the pot is mostly empty, add another batch of ingredients.
Top up with water or dashi if needed.
Repeat for 2–3 rounds until all ingredients are used.

Tip

At the very end, when the broth is deeply flavorful, add cooked rice or udon noodles — this traditional finale is known as shime.

Warm, calming, and perfect for long evenings together.