Kiritanpo Nabe (Akita — Pressed Rice Stick Hot Pot)

Ingredients

• 400 g sushi rice (cooked, seasoned with 30 ml rice vinegar, 15 g sugar, 5 g salt)
• 1.2 liters chicken or dashi-based broth
• 40 ml soy sauce
• 20 ml mirin
• 300 g chicken thigh, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 250 g burdock root (gobo), peeled, sliced into 3 mm rounds
• 200 g carrots, cut into 2 cm half-moons
• 150 g mushrooms (shiitake preferred), halved, stems removed
• 100 g mitsuba (Japanese parsley) or scallion greens
• 8 g fine sea salt

Method

1. 1
   Form cooled sushi rice into 4 cylindrical kiritanpo sticks (8 cm long × 3 cm diameter) by packing rice tightly onto moistened wood skewers or dowels; set aside.
2. 2
   Bring broth to simmer in a large donabe or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat; season with soy sauce, mirin, and salt.
3. 3
   Add chicken pieces and burdock root; simmer 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and root vegetables soften.
4. 4
   Add carrots and mushrooms; simmer 5 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp.
5. 5
   Nestle kiritanpo sticks into broth, pressing gently so they absorb liquid; simmer 3–4 minutes until rice softens and sticks hold together.
6. 6
   Scatter mitsuba or scallion greens over pot; adjust seasoning as needed.
7. 7
   Serve directly from pot, ensuring each diner receives one kiritanpo stick with broth and vegetables.