Saijo Bishunabe
Bishunabe cooks chicken, pork, gizzard, tofu products, konnyaku and vegetables with Saijo sake, salt and pepper. It is not a soup-filled hot pot: sake is added below the level of the...
At a glance
| Name | Saijo Bishunabe (Bishonabe) |
|---|---|
| Prefecture | Hiroshima |
| Region | Chugoku |
| Type | Meat and vegetables steam-stir-fried with sake, salt and pepper |
What is it?
Bishunabe cooks chicken, pork, gizzard, tofu products, konnyaku and vegetables with Saijo sake, salt and pepper.
It is not a soup-filled hot pot: sake is added below the level of the ingredients and reduced as they steam-fry, without long simmering.
History and local context
The dish grew from brewery-worker meals in Saijo's winter brewing season and later spread through the local sake festival.
Name stories vary, but its defining documented method uses sake rather than soy sauce or sugar to draw out the ingredients.
How to enjoy it
Cook and eat ingredients in batches, fully heating poultry and offal. Alcohol may remain after short cooking, so people avoiding it should not assume it has all disappeared.
Availability varies by maker, season, and destination.
Sources and further reading
Frequently asked questions
Where is Saijo Bishunabe from?
It is associated with Hiroshima, in the Chugoku region of Japan.
What kind of food is Saijo Bishunabe?
This guide classifies it as meat and vegetables steam-stir-fried with sake, salt and pepper. See the overview for its defining ingredients and texture.
Can I order Saijo Bishunabe online?
Use the Rakuten Japan search link on this page. Confirm the maker, ingredients, storage requirements, and international shipping before ordering.
Order from Japan
Search Rakuten Japan using the original Japanese food name. Search results and product pages may be available only in Japanese.
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