Do you know Mizutaki, also known as Hakata’s specialty? It is said to be one of the four major chicken hot pot in Japan, along with Tokyo’s Gunji Nabe, Kyoto’s Kashiwa Nabe, and Akita’s Kiritampo, but many people may have heard the name but don’t know what kind of hot pot dish it actually is. This time, we will explain about such Mizutaki.
WHAT IS MIZUTAKI?
Mizutaki, literally meaning “cooked in water,” is a traditional dish from Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, and people typically know it as a Japanese chicken hot pot. In this cooking method, cooks slowly boil chopped chicken with bones and vegetables in hot water.
Unlike other soups, cooks add no seasonings such as soy sauce or salt to mizutaki, even when they prepare the soup stock in advance. Mizutaki originated in Kyushu and Kansai, and each region developed its own distinct history and cooking methods. Today, Mizutaki stands as one of Fukuoka Prefecture’s representative local hot pots, and people enjoy it all over Japan.
First Taste: A Broth Like No Other
The waiter brought the steaming pot to the table, its milky white broth looking almost deceptively simple. I honestly wondered if it would taste like plain hot water. But the first sip surprised me completely. That unassuming liquid held layers of deep chicken flavor, silky and rich from hours of simmering bones . It felt like pure comfort wrapping around me.
The Evolution of Flavor
As the meal progressed, something magical happened. The bone in chicken grew incredibly tender while vegetables released their sweetness into the broth . I dipped each piece in ponzu, then salt, then yuzu pepper—each condiment revealing a new dimension . By the end, when we added rice and egg to create the shime porridge, that final bowl captured every bit of goodness from the entire meal .
ORIGIN OF MIZUTAKI
Various theories surround Mizutaki’s origin. One theory traces Mizutaki back to the Keio era. The dish spread to various places with Hakata as its home, and people later called it “Hakata Mizutaki.” Heisaburo Hayashida, born in Nagasaki, moved to Hong Kong at the age of 15 in 1897 (Meiji 30) and lived with an English family to study the art of cooking. After returning to Japan, he adapted the Western-style consomme and Chinese-style chicken soup he had learned there, and completed Hakata Mizutaki in 1905 (Meiji 38).
Mr. Heisaburo opened a hot pot restaurant called “Suigetsu” in Susaki, Hakata, and it thrived with great energy. Visitors to the World Expo held at that time embraced it warmly, and its popularity spread across the country. Suppliers limited the chickens to males from Miyazaki and Kagoshima, and trains carrying them earned the nickname “mizutaki trains.” In Hakata, people enjoy mizutaki not just in winter but all year round, from spring when early cabbage arrives to summer during the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival.
HOW IS MIZUTAKI MADE?
The Process
Mizutaki can be cooked with only chicken, kelp, vegetables of your choice, green onions, and especially, water. First, prepare a large pot where you can boil the chicken. Afterward, remove the hot water and add another amount of water to simmer the chicken for 2-3 hours.
In terms of making a thick cloudy soup, first, boil the chicken for about an hour. Then remove it from the pot, put it in a thick plastic bag. Hit the chicken with something (about 10-20 times). Then, put the finely chopped chicken pieces in the pan again and simmer. This will make the chicken broth richer. Next, put the stewed chicken on a plate and add the boiled soup stock to the soup. Whe. the soup is ready, you an serve to add ingredients such as the chicken and the vegetables.
Since the broth is not seasoned, the one who wants to eat this should not be worried about the soup becoming too thick due to boiling, and it is better to use cabbage, which has less water than Chinese cabbage.
What is so Unique about it?
People have long known Mizutaki as a hot pot dish rich in collagen. Although refreshing, it carries a rich chicken taste unique to Mizutaki. Beyond the main ingredient of chicken, what makes Mizutaki truly distinctive is a specific eating method that maximizes the tasting experience. At some restaurants, staff bring the pot already filled with chicken-based stock, and customers cook the remaining ingredients themselves. While the soup appears simple, it delivers an intense and flavorful punch. Cooks remove the oil content moderately, making it a very healthy dish that women particularly enjoy. The chicken and broth cook thoroughly without any preservatives, giving the dish a moderate and gentle taste.
RECOMMENDED MIZUTAKI RESTAURANTS
One should taste the aromatic and addictive umami of Mizutaki. There are some long-established and well-known Mizutaki restaurants that can easily be found in Fukuoka prefecture. Here are some of its famous restaurants.
Mizutaki Nagano
The shop serves either a clear chicken soup and cloudy mizutaki. The shop is rather famous where reservations cannot be made easily and soon after it opens, the shop will be filled up. Customers can make a cloudy soup mizutaki with the pot containing the chicken with bone and vegetables. The meat of the chicken is full of flavor that it makes sense that many people go here to have their reservations.
Ryotei Shinmiura Hakata Main Store
This restaurant has been serving cloudy soup that hasn’t changed for 100 years since its establishment during the year 1897. The Hakata main store building can be used for celebrations with its traditional Japanese interior. The restaurant has a calm atmosphere with tatami mats.
Hakata Mizutaki Original Suigetsu
Suigetsu is the origin of Hakata Mizutaki and features a soup that is not cloudy like any other mizutaki. All of the shops that serve mizutaki’s soup that is not cloudy had disappeared in the bombing of Fukuoka in June 1945. And after 100 years later, the third generation has taken over. At the present, the shop continues to preserve the taste of those days and provide their customers with the same taste. Many customers went here to try tasting their mizutaki that is not cloudy which many people want to eat.
Hakata Ajidokoro Mizutaki Iroha Main Store
This store is quite famous as entertainers went here to eat. Because this shop has been providing the same tradition and taste with the cooking method that has been passed down from generation to generation since its founding in 1953. The store serves a softened chicken and secret minced meat in a cloudy soup that customers can not see the bottom of. This famous Mizutaki restaurant is characterized by using cabbage instead of Chinese cabbage.
Toriden Hakata Main Store
The shop serves mizutaki which customers suggested and even praised for its soup that is so rich and full of nourishment that matches the fluffy, plump meat of chicken. Customers can fully enjoy the taste of chicken as there were many places where it only tasted like ponzu sauce. The shop was built in a unique style with an old and modern Japanese interior.
Other Nabe food in Japan
Each area in Japan has its own unique nabe cuisine. It is very interesting to see how the ingredients used in each nabe dish are different and how they taste different.
If you are interested, please refer to this link for other Japanese nabe dishes.
Fukuoka Mizutaki (Chicken Hot Pot) FAQ
What is Mizutaki?
It is a traditional Japanese hot pot where chefs boil chicken and vegetables in a rich, savory broth.
Where did it originate?
It originated in Fukuoka Prefecture on the island of Kyushu over a century ago.
What does the name mean?
“Mizu” means water and “taki” means boil. Cooks originally created the soup by boiling chicken in plain water.
How is Fukuoka style different?
Fukuoka restaurants boil chicken bones for hours to create a cloudy, thick, and collagen-rich white soup.
What is the proper way to eat it?
You drink a small cup of the pure broth with a pinch of salt before eating any meat or vegetables.
What kind of meat do they use?
Chefs strictly use chicken. They include bone-in chunks and minced chicken meatballs (tsumire).
What sauce do I use?
You dip the cooked meat and vegetables into Ponzu (a tangy citrus soy sauce).
What vegetables go inside?
Cooks typically add cabbage, green onions, shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and tofu.
Why do they use cabbage instead of Napa cabbage?
Cabbage releases less water during cooking, which prevents the rich chicken broth from diluting.
Is it healthy?
Yes. The slow-cooked chicken bone broth provides abundant collagen, which promotes healthy skin and joints.
How do I finish the meal?
You add rice and beaten egg to the leftover soup to make a savory porridge (Zosui).
Do I eat the bones?
No. You extract the meat with your chopsticks and leave the bones on a separate small plate.
Is it spicy?
No. The broth tastes very mild. However, you can add Yuzu Kosho (citrus chili paste) for a spicy kick.
Is it only a winter dish?
While hot pots are extremely popular in winter, locals in Fukuoka eat Mizutaki all year round.
Can I eat it alone?
Usually, diners share a large pot. However, many modern restaurants now offer single-serving lunch portions.
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