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Japanese · Akita Prefecture

Kiritanpo Akita Rice Stick Hot Pot Skewer Mashed

Kiritanpo is Akita Prefecture's signature preparation—freshly cooked rice is pounded semi-smooth (leaving some grain texture), molded in thick cylinders around cedar skewers, lightly grilled until golden on the outside, then sliced diagonally and added to the prefecture's celebrated hot pot (kiritanpo nabe). The name derives from the sword-practice log (tanpo) covered in cloth that the rice shape resembles, and 'kiri' meaning cut. The hot pot uses akita chicken (hinai-dori, a regional breed) cooked in a stock deeply flavored with shottsuru fish sauce and soy, with burdock (gobo), mitsuba, Japanese leek (negi), mushrooms, and konjac. The kiritanpo pieces are added last and serve as both carbohydrate and a broth-absorbing element—their exterior grilling creates a slightly charred, resilient outer layer while the interior remains soft and rice-like, absorbing the shottsuru-flavored broth as they soak. The dish represents Akita's autumn-winter culinary identity: hinai-dori chicken's richness, shottsuru's regional fermentation tradition, and kiritanpo's rice craft combine. Akita's rice is among Japan's finest (Akitakomachi variety), and kiritanpo represents a creative transformation of the rice harvest surplus into a storable and interesting food form.

ServesFour portions
Sourced1of 11 in BC
Cook
I

The Market List

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For the kiritanpo
600 g
Akitakomachi short-grain rice
cooked, still warm
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
8
cedar skewers
soaked in water
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the nabe stock
1.2 litres
dashi or light chicken stock
Your own market
3 tbsp
shottsuru fish sauce
Akita fermented fish sauce; not substituted
Your own market
2 tbsp
For the nabe
400 g
hinai-dori chicken
thigh or drumstick, cut into pieces
Your own market
1
burdock root (gobo)
shaved into thin strips, soaked briefly in cold water
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2
Japanese leek (negi)
cut diagonally into 4 cm lengths
Your own market
100 g
konjac (konnyaku)
torn into rough pieces by hand
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
100 g
mushrooms
maitake or shiitake, stems trimmed
Your own market
1 bunch
mitsuba (Japanese trefoil)
cut into 3 cm lengths, added at the end
Not yet stocked in British Columbia

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II

The Method

1
Pound the warm cooked rice in a mortar or wooden bowl using a pestle or wet hands. Work until the mass coheres and roughly two-thirds of the grains are crushed, leaving a visible granular texture throughout. The mixture should hold a pressed shape without crumbling but must not form a smooth, uniform paste.
2
Divide the pounded rice into eight equal portions. Wet both hands and press each portion firmly around a cedar skewer, forming a cylinder approximately 3 cm in diameter and 10–12 cm long. Press the rice evenly so there are no gaps or thin patches; the cylinder must grip the skewer without slipping.
3
Grill the formed cylinders over a charcoal fire or under a broiler, turning to expose all sides. This step decides the dish: the exterior must develop a lightly charred, firm, golden-brown crust on all sides — this resilient outer layer is what prevents the kiritanpo from dissolving in the broth and gives them their defining textural contrast. The interior remains soft. Remove when the surface shows clear golden patches and carries a faint char aroma.
4
Remove the grilled kiritanpo from the skewers and cut each cylinder diagonally into 3–4 cm pieces. Set aside. The pieces may be refrigerated for up to 2–3 days at this stage.
5
Bring the stock to a steady simmer in a donabe or heavy-based pot set at the table or on the stove. Add the shottsuru and soy sauce. Add the hinai-dori chicken pieces and bring back to a full simmer; the chicken must be cooked through and the stock visibly deepened in colour and aroma before proceeding.
From the canon — The donabe (clay/earthenware pot) is one of Japan's most ancient and most currently celebrated cooking vessels — experiencing a significant renaissance drive… Donabe — Clay Pot Cooking Traditions →
6
Add the burdock, konjac, leek, and mushrooms to the simmering broth. Cook until the burdock has lost its raw resistance and the mushrooms have softened and released their fragrance into the stock.
7
Add the kiritanpo pieces for the final five minutes only. They will absorb the shottsuru-flavoured broth and swell slightly; the grilled exterior holds their form while the interior becomes saturated with stock. Remove from heat as soon as each piece is heated through and yielding to gentle pressure — further cooking dissolves them. Scatter mitsuba over the surface and serve immediately from the pot.
III

Quality Hierarchy

01
Reserve — Akitakomachi rice from Akita Prefecture; authentic hinai-dori chicken; artisanal Akita-brewed shottsuru from sandfish (hatahata); hand-shaved fresh gobo; charcoal grill for the kiritanpo.
02
Estate — Akitakomachi rice from a named producer; free-range native-breed chicken (jidori); imported Japanese shottsuru; fresh maitake mushrooms.
03
Market — Any Japanese short-grain rice (koshihikari acceptable); good-quality chicken thighs, bone-in; Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce combined with soy to approximate shottsuru's depth; fresh shiitake.
04
House — Standard short-grain rice; supermarket chicken pieces; soy sauce alone in place of shottsuru — flavour is diminished and the oceanic umami that defines the nabe is absent; dried mushrooms, rehydrated.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Touch. Pounded rice holds a pressed shape and grips the skewer firmly but shows visible grain texture — it has not become a smooth paste.
◇Sight. Grilled cylinders carry golden-brown patches and faint char marks across all sides; no raw white surface remains.
◇Smell. Stock deepens in aroma after chicken and shottsuru are added — a layered oceanic and savory scent distinct from plain soy broth.
◇Touch. Finished kiritanpo pieces in the nabe yield to gentle pressure — swollen with broth and heated through — but retain their diagonal-cut form.
◇Where it lives or dies. The grilled exterior of the kiritanpo cylinder — without a firm, lightly charred crust on all sides, the pieces dissolve into the broth before they can absorb it.
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VI

What to Pour

The pairing
Nikka From The Barrel
Nikka Whisky — Miyagikyo Distillery · Miyagikyo — Nikka Distillery
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Whisky
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The whole pairing
Pillar VII
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Sourced through Provenance

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