To celebrate Christmas in Kyoto this year, we invited many of our closest friends around for a 'nabe' party. Nabe (pronounced nah-bay or nah-beh) literally means pot, and the preparation involves simply cutting up big chunks of vegetables and meats, ready to be thrown together into said pot, with different types of stock. The actual boiling of the broth all happens on the table, with anyone able to pick up ingredients and throw them in at will. Of course, someone usually takes the lead and in this case Tomomi stepped up to offer her suggestions for the best pot mix. We ended up with incredibly tasty Soy Milk broth, Curry broth, and Korean Kim-chi Broth as the centrepieces of a really warm and cosy evening. Presents were exchanged, lots of wine consumed, and the lack of turkey (or even a single roast potato) though always upsetting, was eased by the party atmosphere and the cheery guests. As is often the case in Japan, the party ended in a peculiarly regimented fashion with all guests filing out the door before midnight, but thankfully they left some great memories, and a huge pile of left-over sweets, snacks and drinks. Result!
