What is Sake Lees Hot Pot? The Ultimate Guide to Basic Recipes, Popular Variations, and Choosing Sake Lees

Sakekasu Nabe (sake lees hot pot), a dish you crave in the cold season, is a hot pot that warms you to the core, made by dissolving sake lees, a byproduct of sake brewing. With the unique richness and aroma of sake lees, and the high nutritional value characteristic of fermented foods, it has gained deep popularity as a winter staple in Japanese homes. This article will thoroughly explain everything from the basic recipe for Sakekasu Nabe to popular variations like Ishikari Nabe-style and Kasujiru-style, tips for making it delicious, and sake (日本酒) that pairs well with it.

What is Sakekasu Nabe? Also Explaining the Difference from Kasujiru

Sakekasu Nabe is a general term for hot pot dishes where sake lees are dissolved into a miso or soy sauce-based dashi (broth), and then seafood, meat, and vegetables are simmered. Adding sake lees increases the thickness and richness compared to regular hot pots, resulting in a mellow and profound flavor.

There is a similar dish called Kasujiru (sake lees soup), but Kasujiru is positioned more like a soup or miso soup, with ingredients often cut into smaller pieces and served as a single bowl. Sakekasu Nabe, on the other hand, generally refers to a hot pot style where it's cooked and eaten at the table. However, there isn't a strict boundary, and the name varies by region and household.

Regarding sake lees itself, the Complete Guide to Sake Lees Recipes also introduces a wide range of uses from cooking and sweets to beauty, so please also take a look.

Basic Recipe for Sakekasu Nabe

Here's a basic recipe for making Sakekasu Nabe at home.

Ingredients (Approximate for 4 servings)

Sake Lees: About 150g
Miso (fermented soybean paste): 2-3 tablespoons
Dashi (broth, such as kombu or katsuobushi dashi): 1,000ml
Ingredients: Fish such as salmon or cod, chicken or pork, and your favorite vegetables like daikon radish, carrots, napa cabbage, mushrooms, and tofu.
For finishing: Butter or shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice blend) (optional)

Instructions

Soak the sake lees beforehand in a small amount of dashi or hot water to soften it into a smooth paste, which makes it easier to dissolve.
Pour dashi into a pot and bring to a boil, then add ingredients that take longer to cook, such as root vegetables, first.
Once the ingredients are cooked through, add the dissolved sake lees and miso, and mix well. If you boil it too vigorously, the alcohol and aroma can evaporate easily, so the key is to reduce the heat to low just before it reaches a rolling boil.
Add seafood, leafy greens, and tofu, and simmer briefly until cooked. It's ready to serve. Optionally, add butter or shichimi to enhance the flavor.

If you add sake lees in a lump, it tends not to dissolve completely, so the extra step of softening it beforehand is crucial for the taste.

3 Popular Sakekasu Nabe Variations

Ishikari Nabe Style | Leveraging the Compatibility of Salmon and Sake Lees

This variation adds sake lees to Ishikari Nabe (石狩鍋), a local dish from Hokkaido. Salmon bones and scraps or fillets, cabbage, potatoes, and shimeji mushrooms are simmered in a miso-based dashi, and finally, sake lees and butter are dissolved into it. The umami of salmon and the richness of sake lees combine, making it a perfect dish for a cold day.

Kasujiru Nabe | A Comforting Flavor with Plenty of Root Vegetables

This Kasujiru-style hot pot uses plenty of root vegetables like daikon radish, carrots, burdock root, and konjac, prepared like Tonjiru (pork miso soup). The sweetness of root vegetables and the aroma of sake lees blend together, warming you to the core. If you use chicken or aburaage (fried tofu pouches) instead of pork, you can also arrange it into a lighter flavor.

Soy Milk Sakekasu Nabe | A Mellow and Creamy Finish

Replacing part of the dashi with soy milk combines the richness of sake lees and the mellowness of soy milk, creating a gentle flavor like cream stew. It pairs well with chicken, mushrooms, and napa cabbage, and is also recommended for those who don't like spicy food.

Tips for Making Sakekasu Nabe Even More Delicious

Soak sake lees before adding: If added in lumps, it's hard to dissolve and can cause uneven flavor.
Don't boil too vigorously: Because some of the flavor and nutrients of sake lees are sensitive to heat, avoid boiling it for a long time over high heat; instead, just gently warm it over low heat.
Find the golden ratio with miso: The ratio of sake lees to miso can be adjusted to your preference, but it's less likely to fail if you start with about 150g of sake lees and 2 tablespoons of miso, then adjust while tasting.
A final touch: Topping with butter, ground sesame seeds, shichimi togarashi, or yuzu kosho (citrus chili paste) can add variety to the flavor.

The high nutritional value is also one of the appeals of dishes using sake lees. Regarding the components contained in sake lees and their effects on the body, it is also explained in detail in the article on the benefits of sake (日本酒), which is the raw material for sake lees.

How to Store Leftover Sake Lees

Let's also cover storage methods to avoid wasting leftover sake lees after making Sakekasu Nabe. Sake lees tends to oxidize easily when exposed to air and is not suitable for long-term storage even in the refrigerator. It is recommended to divide unused portions into small amounts, wrap them in plastic wrap, and freeze them. Once frozen, you can easily take out only the amount you need and use it for your next hot pot, kasujiru, or amazake (sweet sake) preparation.

For details on the expiration date of sake lees and specific storage techniques, please refer to Sake Lees Expiration Date | A Comprehensive Guide to Proper Storage Before and After Opening, Freezing, and Utilization Tips.

How to Choose Sake That Pairs Well with Sakekasu Nabe

Sakekasu Nabe is a miso-based dish with a strong richness, so sake (日本酒), especially warmed sake (燗酒 - kanzake), pairs exceptionally well with it. Junmai-shu (純米酒), which brings out the umami of rice when slowly warmed, and rich Honjozo-shu (本醸造酒) are particularly good matches. Combining Sakekasu Nabe with kanzake on a cold night will create a luxurious moment that warms you to the core.

Regarding how to warm kanzake and suitable temperature ranges, it is explained in detail in What is Atsukan? | A Comprehensive Guide to Temperature, Preparation, Suitable Sake, and Enjoyment, so please refer to it.

Summary

Sakekasu Nabe is a perfect winter hot pot dish that allows you to easily enjoy the unique richness and nutrients of sake lees. Once you grasp the basic recipe, you can create various arrangements like Ishikari Nabe-style, Kasujiru Nabe, or Soy Milk Sakekasu Nabe, using ingredients you have at home. While keeping in mind tips such as soaking the sake lees beforehand and not boiling it too vigorously, this winter, be sure to incorporate Sakekasu Nabe into your dining table.