Japaneats その7 - 鍋物 (なべもの - nabemono) - Hot pot

Japanese homes are generally not very nice places to be during the chilly nights of 秋 (あき - aki - Autumn) and 冬 (ふゆ - fuyu - Winter). Apartments in particular tend to have single-glazed windows and no roof space for insulation which means that most people rely on small heaters, air conditioners and 炬燵 (こたつ - kotatsu - tables with built in heaters) to ward off the cold. The last thing you want to do when you've got the room nice and warm is go and stand on the cold kitchen floor chopping vegetables, so why not just bring everything to the table? 鍋物 (literally "pot things") is the result - a one-pot meal that brings the whole family together (preferably where it's warm). It's branched out into a variety of different styles and is now enjoyed internationally throughout the year; I'll bet you've heard of some versions of it yourself.