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One of the staple dishes in winter, each area of Japan has its own type of nabe. In the past people have tended to stick with traditional recipes.
At one restaurant in Tokyo, the ingredients in nabe are all served on skewers. The wooden signs are inscribed with the name of the ingredients. The effect is not just appetizing -- it's also very eye-catching.
There are vegetables, meat mushrooms and eggs. For the customers, the first priority is to snap the dish and post their pictures to their social media sites.
In fact, the restaurant specializes in yakitori -- chicken grilled on skewers. This winter, the staff decided to create a dish that would have a stronger visual appeal, so for the first time, they put their skewers in a nabe hot pot.
The soup stock has a tomato base and when each ingredient is cooked, it can be dipped into the thick molten cheese.
"Up to now we've focused on making sure everything is delicious. But this dish encourages customers to take photos, and spread the word on social media. It's a good way to attract new customers," says Yusuke Inahashi, the head chef.
There's a name for this new type of dish: photogenic nabe. This winter, many restaurants are coming up with original creations, going all out to make the biggest impact.
Japanese Hot Pot
Another version is made by wrapping strips of meat around vegetables. It stands almost 30 centimeters high. Another is topped with a meringue like a fluffy cloud.
This new trend is spreading from restaurants to major supermarkets. Every winter, one store sets aside an area in its food section for hot pot soups and ingredients. This year, for the first time, it has decided to try a new promotional approach -- photogenic nabe.
It has caught on to this new trend as a way to boost its sales of nabe ingredients. It has also encouraged customers to submit their own photos. In one month, more than 150 photos came in -- including many that are totally original.
"We've been surprised to get so many reactions and recipes from customers. There are some incredible ideas coming from people," says Izumi Sasaki, marketing manager at Aeon Topvalu.
Homemakers like Yukiko Miyauchi have been quick to pick up on the trend. She posts photos of her latest creations on social media almost every day.
"I love to hear 'I've never heard of this,' or 'It looks so good,'" Miyauchi says.
She always aims to give her dishes a look that's a bit "kawaii," or cute. One of her recent creations involved turning the hot pot ingredients into an edible rose garden.
"I want to use my imagination to come up with new kinds of nabe," Miyauchi says.
They look eye-catching and they taste great -- the growing boom for photogenic nabe hot pots looks set to stay for a while.
(NHK)
