Motsu nabe

If you’re a fan of innards, you’ll love motsu nabe. A Fukuoka speciality, motsu nabe is a unique stew made with offal (motsu) that’s been popular throughout Japan since the 1990s.

Motsu nabe is prepared by putting fresh beef intestines and heart, pork tripe, or other offal, cabbage, enoki mushrooms, burdock, garlic chives, garlic and chilli into dashi made from kombu or katsuobushi. The soup is also flavoured with soy sauce or miso, although some restaurants like to serve it with a vinegary soy sauce. The Japanese like to add champon noodles and sesame into the remaining soup too.

What about the taste? When cooked perfectly, the stew becomes rich, flavourful and tender. Cheap, delicious and nutritious, motsu nabe goes well with sake or shochu. If you’re in the Fukuoka city of Hakata, you can pick up a pack of ready-to-cook motsu nabe from train stations.