flipHakata Mizutaki — Fukuoka's chicken hot pot
Hakata Mizutaki — Fukuoka's chicken hot pot
Why this dish? Mizutaki is THE emblematic dish of Hakata (Fukuoka), the city where Ayumi was born in 1978. This convivial chicken hot pot, where everyone shares one pot, embodies the warmth of her hometown—the dish of family reunions.
A pot placed at the center of the table, simmering a milky chicken bone broth, into which everyone dips chicken pieces, napa cabbage, tofu, and mushrooms. Dip the bites into a tangy ponzu sauce, and finish with rice cooked in the remaining broth, full of flavor.
In Hakata, mizutaki means party at home—you put the big pot in the middle, and everyone serves themselves, talks loudly, laughs. The broth turns white from simmering the bones for so long, that's our secret. And the best part, I tell you, is the end: you throw rice into what's left of the broth, and that's heaven. When I come back to Fukuoka, that's the smell that tells me I've really arrived.
- •Chicken with bones (carcass + pieces) — one whole chicken (milky broth and meat)
- •Napa cabbage (hakusai) — half (melting vegetable)
- •Tofu — one block (garnish)
- •Japanese green onion (negi) — two stalks (aromatic)
- •Yuzu and soy sauce (ponzu) — one bowl (tangy dipping sauce)
- •Rice — one bowl (final zōsui in broth)
Hakata Mizutaki — Fukuoka's chicken hot pot
A pot placed at the center of the table, simmering a milky chicken bone broth, into which everyone dips chicken pieces, napa cabbage, tofu, and mushrooms. Dip the bites into a tangy ponzu sauce, and finish with rice cooked in the remaining broth, full of flavor.
Why this dish? Mizutaki is THE emblematic dish of Hakata (Fukuoka), the city where Ayumi was born in 1978. This convivial chicken hot pot, where everyone shares one pot, embodies the warmth of her hometown—the dish of family reunions.
In Hakata, mizutaki means party at home—you put the big pot in the middle, and everyone serves themselves, talks loudly, laughs. The broth turns white from simmering the bones for so long, that's our secret. And the best part, I tell you, is the end: you throw rice into what's left of the broth, and that's heaven. When I come back to Fukuoka, that's the smell that tells me I've really arrived.
Ingredients (period version)
- Chicken with bones (carcass + pieces) — one whole chicken (milky broth and meat)
- Napa cabbage (hakusai) — half (melting vegetable)
- Tofu — one block (garnish)
- Japanese green onion (negi) — two stalks (aromatic)
- Yuzu and soy sauce (ponzu) — one bowl (tangy dipping sauce)
- Rice — one bowl (final zōsui in broth)
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs + carcass — 1 kg (broth and meat)
- Napa cabbage — 1/2 (melting vegetable)
- Firm tofu — 200 g (garnish)
- Scallions / green onions — 1 bunch (aromatic)
- Ponzu sauce (or yuzu/lemon juice + soy sauce) — 1 small bowl (dipping sauce)
- Shiitake mushrooms — 6 (umami garnish)
- Cooked rice — 1 bowl (final zōsui)
Method
- Boil the carcass and chicken pieces at a rolling boil for 1-2 hours, skimming, until the broth is white and rich.
- Lightly salt the broth, then transfer to a serving pot (or fondue pot).
- Arrange napa cabbage, tofu, shiitake, and scallions cut into pieces around the table.
- At the table, each person dips meat and vegetables into the simmering broth, cooks for a few minutes, then dips into ponzu.
- At the end of the meal, pour cooked rice into the remaining broth for a creamy zōsui (porridge), sprinkled with scallions.
How it was made : Hakata mizutaki is said to have originated in the late 19th century, inspired by both Chinese broths and Western cuisine discovered by merchants in Nagasaki and Fukuoka. The secret lies in the chicken bone broth boiled for a long time until it turns milky—a poultry cousin of the famous local tonkotsu.
The contemporary twist : Serve the ponzu in small individual cups with a grating of fresh yuzu zest, chef's table style.
Ayumi Hamasaki · Charactorium
