A little of each town’s story

Botan nabe of Tamba

From: Hydrangea season in an old house in Tamba

Sliced wild boar arranged like a peony flower

Thinly sliced wild boar is arranged like a peony (botan) flower and simmered with vegetables in a miso broth. It originated in Tamba-Sasayama and has been served as a dish of hospitality since the Meiji era. It is said to have begun in 1891 as "ino nabe," devised by the owner of an inn in Sasayama, and the name botan nabe spread through the lyrics of a 1931 folk song, "Sasayama Kouta." Because the boar feed on nuts and acorns, the meat has no gamey smell; the season runs from December to March. In fiscal 2021 it was recognized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as a "100-Year Food" (modern category). This time the inn prepared it for me, with boar and vegetables in a sweet miso broth, followed by udon and rice cakes.

Sources: bunka.go.jp kobe-np.co.jp

This moment in the journey

Botan nabe, Tamba's specialty, over the hearth

In the evening I sat at the hearth. However many times I do this, an open hearth never fails to excite me. Over the charcoal hung an iron pot with a wooden lid.

At this farmhouse, dinner can be arranged as an option, and what they prepare is botan nabe, Tamba's specialty. On the table sat a platter of mizuna, carrot, Chinese cabbage, tofu, shimeji mushrooms and leek, with udon and rice cakes beside it. Then came the dish of thinly sliced wild boar, arranged like a peony flower. A wild-boar hot pot, something you find only in rural Japan.

As the meat went into the pot, steam rose. Along the edge of the hearth, skewered sweetfish, shiitake and green peppers were roasting slowly.

Watch this scene on YouTube5:06

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