Nabe dishes that warm both body and soul. How to use and care for donabe.

Donabe (Japanese clay pot) have long sat at the center of the Japanese dinner table.
Born from earth, these pots may look rustic at first glance,
but they are cooking tools that carry a distinctly Japanese warmth.

Iga-tsuchi donabe

The Iga-tsuchi Round Donabe from TOJIKITONYA, a kiln based in Mie prefecture.
Iga clay, dug from the ancient Lake Biwa strata, has exceptionally high heat resistance,
and has long been used for heat-resistant ceramics.
Its surface is rough and uneven. Even after firing,
it retains a distinct, earthy texture full of character.

The round donabe's fully rounded shape is designed
so that it can be picked up from any direction, a full 360 degrees.
Its rounded, tall form allows heat to circulate evenly inside,
making the most of the clay's natural heat-retention properties.
Donabe take time to heat up,
but once warmed through, they keep food hot for much longer
than pots made of other materials.

Since TOJIKITONYA's Iga clay pots
do not use any special heat-resistant additives,
placing them over a flame causes fine, web-like cracks
called kannyu, which form due to the difference
in shrinkage rate between the air and the clay body.
These cracks always occur but do not affect usability.
The more the pot is used, the more kannyu develop,
and the sturdier against breakage it becomes.

▽Example of kannyu

How to season the pot (mejime)

Iga clay is characterized by its coarse texture, which contains a lot of air.
Because of this, the clay of a donabe before its first use
is full of tiny gaps.
Mejime is the process needed to fill in these gaps.
This step should be done the first time you use a donabe,
and also when using one again after a long break.
Without mejime, moisture may seep out through the bottom of the pot (leaking),
food may pick up an earthy taste,
and the pot may crack during use.

Step 1: Rinse the donabe lightly with water and let it dry thoroughly.
Step 2: Once the pot is dry, fill it about 80% full with water,
and add something starchy, such as leftover rice, wheat flour, or potato starch,
in an amount equal to about one-fifth of the water.
(This time, we used 2 tablespoons of wheat flour.)

Step 3: Simmer slowly over low heat,
just enough for small bubbles to appear on the surface.
※If the heat is too high, the pot may crack.
※Do not put on the lid.
Step 4: After about an hour of heating, turn off the heat.
Let the pot cool as it is,
and once it has cooled completely, rinse it with water to finish.

Japanese ingredients and donabe

Japan, with its four distinct seasons, is a country rich in seasonal ingredients.
Vibrant, colorful vegetables,
when slowly warmed in a donabe,
have their natural umami and sweetness concentrated.
Fish and meat also release rich broth when cooked this way.
Steaming with the lid on reduces the volume of ingredients,
allowing you to eat plenty of nutrient-rich food—
one of the great pleasures of nabe cooking.

Rice, an essential part of Japanese meals,
also tastes even better when cooked in a donabe.
Once a donabe is warmed, even over low heat,
it retains that heat for a long time, cooking the rice evenly
and resulting in warm, tender rice.
The crispy "okoge" (crust) that forms, something a rice cooker can't produce, is unique to donabe.

■Basic care

Donabe tend to absorb food odors easily.
For this reason, it's best to wash them as soon as possible after use.

If an odor does end up sticking to the pot,
fill it with water, add used tea leaves or vinegar,
and warm it over low heat for about 10 minutes.
Afterward, let the pot cool before rinsing it with water.

If food has burned onto the pot,
fill it with water or hot water and let it sit overnight.
For stubborn burnt-on spots, adding baking soda or vinegar to water in the pot
and warming it over low heat is effective.

During warmer seasons, or whenever you won't be using the donabe for a long time,
wrap it in newspaper for storage.

■Things to watch out for

Donabe are very sensitive to sudden changes in temperature.
Heating a donabe over high heat from the start,
placing a heated donabe on a wet cloth,
or pouring cold water into a hot pot
can cause the pot itself to crack.

Once the pot body has cracked, water will continue to leak
even if you repeat the mejime process.
To prevent unexpected accidents, such as sudden leaks while cooking,
please stop using the pot if it has cracked.

Also, avoid using metal cutlery, metal scouring pads,
or cleanser, as these can scratch the surface
of the pot.

Recommended accessories for your pot

When it comes to essential accessories for a hot donabe, a trivet is a must.
The brass trivet from FUTAGAMI
gradually deepens in color over time through oxidation.
With rubber feet on the underside,
it holds the donabe securely in place.

The MATEVARI Fuki-urushi bowl from Gatokio Shoten
lets you appreciate the wood grain showing through and the glossy urushi (Japanese lacquer) finish.
Its rounded shape fits comfortably in the hand,
and the thick construction is designed to keep the bowl
from becoming too hot even when filled with something warm.

The Musubi Chopstick Rest from Nousaku.
Since donabe are often brought right to the table,
why not coordinate with tableware
that pairs nicely with its look?
This tin chopstick rest adds a subtle, bright touch
to the dinner table.