The sour cabbage hot pot, commonly enjoyed in Taiwan and northern China, is a flavorful dish where the umami of fermented cabbage keeps you coming back for more. The preparation of the fermented cabbage is simple: just sprinkle with salt and let time do the work. This hot pot warms your body from the inside out.
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Fermented Cabbage Hot Pot
Item Used: KAKOMI IH enamel pot 2L
Ingredients (4 servings)
・500g (or more) Fermented Chinese cabbage *Recipe below
・200g thinly sliced Pork belly
・200g thinly sliced Pork loin
・3-4 dried Shiitake mushrooms
・1 block of Frozen tofu *See recipe below
・Vermicelli, as desired
・Coriander, as desired
・1L Water
・300ml+ Juice from the fermented Chinese cabbage
・50ml Sake
<Sauce>
- Chive Sauce: Refer to Steamed Fish and Mushrooms Wrapped in Cabbage recipe.
- Sesame Sauce: Combine 4 tablespoons straight mentsuyu (noodle soup base), 2 tablespoons white sesame paste, 2 tablespoons ground white sesame, and 2 teaspoons sesame oil.
Instructions
1. In a pot, add water and dried shiitake mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are rehydrated, slice them into bite-sized pieces and return them to the pot.
2. Cut the pork into half-length pieces. Squeeze out the excess moisture from the frozen tofu, cut it in half vertically, then cut into 8 pieces horizontally. Cook the vermicelli noodles according to the package instructions and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
3. To the pot in step 1, add the juice from the fermented Chinese cabbage and sake, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the fermented Chinese cabbage and shiitake mushrooms, then reduce to medium heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the pork in portions, and once it is cooked through, serve in bowls. Top with your choice of sauce and coriander.
5. If you'd like, add more fermented Chinese cabbage or water, and finish by adding the vermicelli noodles.
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Fermented Chinese Cabbage
Ingredients (Easy-to-make amount)
・1/2 head Chinese cabbage
・Salt 2% of the weight of the chopped cabbage
Instructions
1. Cut off the core of the Chinese cabbage and separate the leaves.
2. Slice the cabbage into thin strips, about 5cm long, following the fiber of the leaves.
3. Place the sliced cabbage and salt in a storage bag and mix well. Remove the air from the bag and seal it.
4. Flatten the bag as much as possible and place it in a tray or similar container. Let it ferment at room temperature for 4-5 days.
5. If the bag starts to puff up during fermentation, open it to release the air and then seal it again.
6. The cabbage is ready when it releases enough moisture and develops a slightly sour, pickled aroma.
*Store any unused portion in the refrigerator.
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Frozen Tofu
Ingredients (Easy-to-make amount)
・1 block Firm tofu
Instructions
1. Make a slit in the lid of the tofu package to drain out the excess water.
2. Freeze the tofu in its package in the freezer.
3. Before using, thaw the tofu naturally and press it with both hands to remove excess moisture.
Item Used: KAKOMI IH enamel pot 2L
Ingredients (4 servings)
・500g (or more) Fermented Chinese cabbage *Recipe below
・200g thinly sliced Pork belly
・200g thinly sliced Pork loin
・3-4 dried Shiitake mushrooms
・1 block of Frozen tofu *See recipe below
・Vermicelli, as desired
・Coriander, as desired
・1L Water
・300ml+ Juice from the fermented Chinese cabbage
・50ml Sake
<Sauce>
- Chive Sauce: Refer to Steamed Fish and Mushrooms Wrapped in Cabbage recipe.
- Sesame Sauce: Combine 4 tablespoons straight mentsuyu (noodle soup base), 2 tablespoons white sesame paste, 2 tablespoons ground white sesame, and 2 teaspoons sesame oil.
Instructions
1. In a pot, add water and dried shiitake mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are rehydrated, slice them into bite-sized pieces and return them to the pot.
2. Cut the pork into half-length pieces. Squeeze out the excess moisture from the frozen tofu, cut it in half vertically, then cut into 8 pieces horizontally. Cook the vermicelli noodles according to the package instructions and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
3. To the pot in step 1, add the juice from the fermented Chinese cabbage and sake, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the fermented Chinese cabbage and shiitake mushrooms, then reduce to medium heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the pork in portions, and once it is cooked through, serve in bowls. Top with your choice of sauce and coriander.
5. If you'd like, add more fermented Chinese cabbage or water, and finish by adding the vermicelli noodles.
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Fermented Chinese Cabbage
Ingredients (Easy-to-make amount)
・1/2 head Chinese cabbage
・Salt 2% of the weight of the chopped cabbage
Instructions
1. Cut off the core of the Chinese cabbage and separate the leaves.
2. Slice the cabbage into thin strips, about 5cm long, following the fiber of the leaves.
3. Place the sliced cabbage and salt in a storage bag and mix well. Remove the air from the bag and seal it.
4. Flatten the bag as much as possible and place it in a tray or similar container. Let it ferment at room temperature for 4-5 days.
5. If the bag starts to puff up during fermentation, open it to release the air and then seal it again.
6. The cabbage is ready when it releases enough moisture and develops a slightly sour, pickled aroma.
*Store any unused portion in the refrigerator.
---
Frozen Tofu
Ingredients (Easy-to-make amount)
・1 block Firm tofu
Instructions
1. Make a slit in the lid of the tofu package to drain out the excess water.
2. Freeze the tofu in its package in the freezer.
3. Before using, thaw the tofu naturally and press it with both hands to remove excess moisture.
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Recipe by
Chie Endo, Chef / "ties" Representative
After starting her career as an international flight attendant, Chie worked in a restaurant before setting up her own business. Her love of travel has connected her to local restaurants, markets, and home recipes from around the world. Chie is now based in the Kanagawa countryside, creating recipes inspired by traditional cooking methods and local vegetables grown in neighboring farms and foraged plants.
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