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Osaka Prefecture

Kujira no harihari nabe

Kujira no harihari nabe
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    "Osaka's Local Cuisine: Event Meals and the Transmission of Food Culture" (Osaka Prefectural School Lunch Association)

Main lore areas

All over Osaka Prefecture

Main ingredients used

Whale meat, potherb mustard

History/origin/related events

This nabe combines whale meat, which was once a familiar food for the common people, and potherb mustard, which has been cultivated mainly in the Kansai region since ancient times. The whale soup stock is mixed with the potherb mustard and is very tasty. It is said to have originated at Tokuya, a whale restaurant established in 1967 in Sennichimae, Osaka, and has been loved by Osaka residents as a winter delicacy. It is said that the name "hari-hari-nabe" comes from the sound of hari-hari-hari when eating potherb mustard.
Whale meat is now a luxury item, but when whaling was popular in Japan, it was one of the most inexpensive meats available and was a familiar source of protein for the common people. The proximity to Taiji in Wakayama Prefecture, one of the largest whaling bases in Japan, made the distribution of whale meat in Osaka very prosperous in the past, and a culinary culture using whale meat flourished. However, since the cessation of commercial whaling in the 1980s, whale meat has become difficult to obtain and is now increasingly substituted with other meats such as pork (commercial whaling will resume in 2019).

Opportunities and times of eating habits

Because potherb mustard is in season in winter, and because it is a warming nabe dish, it is popular as a cold-weather meal.

How to eat

Add plenty of potherb mustard and whale meat to the pot with bonito flakes and soy sauce, and bring to a boil. To enjoy the crispy texture of the potherb mustard, it is best to eat it when it is cooked quickly. You may add powdered sansho (Japanese pepper) or shichimi (seven spice) to taste. Ingredients and seasonings vary from household to household and from restaurant to restaurant.

Efforts for Preservation and Succession

Tokuya, which is said to be the originator of whale Harikari-nabe, has been promoting the appeal of whale food culture as an ancient Japanese food culture both domestically and internationally, but closed in 2019 when commercial whaling resumed after a 30-year interval.
Even today, when whale meat is hard to come by, there are still restaurants scattered throughout the prefecture that offer whale dishes, and you can still taste whale hari-hari-nabe. Although not necessarily made with whale meat, hari hari nabe itself is widely known as a specialty of Osaka and is served at many restaurants and eaten by tourists.

RECIPE

Ingredients (For 4 persons)

  • Whale meat (red meat) 400g
  • Potherb mustard (kyona) 800g
  • water 6 cups
  • Shaved bonito 60g
  • Seasoning A] Sake 2/3 cup
  • Seasoning A] Soy sauce 1/2 cup or more
  • Seasoning A] Sugar 6 tbsp.
  • Seasoning A] Mirin 2 tbsp.
  • ground ginger as needed

How to cook

  • 1. Cut potherb mustard into 4-5 cm lengths.

  • 2. Bring water to a boil, add shaved bonito, simmer over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes while removing the roughness, and strain to make a thick broth.

  • 3. Bring 2 and [Seasoning A] to a boil and add whale meat.

  • 4. When 3 comes to a boil, add potherb mustard.

  • 5. When potherb mustard is quickly cooked, put it in a small bowl with whale meat and broth, and serve hot with grated ginger. （Serve hot with grated ginger. (You may sprinkle shichimi pepper or powdered Japanese pepper on top if you like.)

provider : "Osaka's Local Cooking - Event Food and Tradition of Food Culture" (Osaka Prefectural School Lunch Association)

* Recipes vary depending on the region and home.