秋田県·郷土料理
Damako Nabe
The rounded rice dumplings soak up plenty of savory chicken broth, becoming glossy and tender. They crumble easily in your mouth, releasing the full umami of the rice—this is Damako Nabe, an Akita hot pot that stands alongside Kiritanpo. 'Damako' comes from 'dama,' meaning to crush and roll rice into balls, combined with the Akita dialect suffix '-ko.' It is said to have originated in Goshiro Town, which flourished through forestry; workers would use the back of their axes to crush and roll the rice from their lunch boxes, then eat them with miso. Its origins are even older than Kiritanpo, and some theories suggest it served as its prototype. Unlike Kiritanpo, the rice is not wrapped around skewers, but kept in round shapes. It is a comforting hot pot that has been cherished in Japanese households.
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