''Donabe'' (Japanese: 土鍋, literally "earthenware pot") are pots made out of a special

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

for use over an open flame in

Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese language, Japanese: ) is based on rice with m ...

, and in the case of semi-stoneware Banko ware of high

petalite Petalite, also known as castorite, is a lithium aluminum phyllosilicate mineral Li Al Si4 O10, crystallizing in the monoclinic system. Petalite occurs as colorless, pink, grey, yellow, yellow grey, to white tabular crystals and columnar masses. ...

content. Often, the food is cooked at the table on a gas burner for various '' nabemono'' dishes such as shabu-shabu and dishes served simmering including nabeyaki

udon Udon ( or ) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used in Japanese cuisine. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a soup as with a mild broth called made from dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. It is usual ...

. They are sized by ''sun'', one of the

Japanese units of measurement Traditional Japanese units of measurement or the shakkanhō () is the customary units, traditional system of measurement used by the people of the Japanese archipelago. It is largely based on the Chinese units of measurement, Chinese system, whic ...

. The ''donabe'' is usually glazed on the inside and porous on the outside. While the material is similar to

earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed Vitrification#Ceramics, nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids ...

stoneware Stoneware is a broad class of pottery fired at a relatively high temperature, to be impervious to water. A modern definition is a Vitrification#Ceramics, vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non-refractory fire ...

, donabe can be used over an open flame as well as in an oven if three precautions are taken. First, the outside of the donabe should be dry before use, as moisture within the clay will expand in the heat and may chip or crack the pot. Secondly, the pot should be heated gradually to reduce the possibility of cracks due to heat stress. Third, the pot should never be left over the flame while empty. Donabe is a traditional cooking vessel. It is made from a clay that is porous and coarse. In the area around Iga, '' Iga-yaki'' (Iga-style) donabe, have been made since 1832; Iga-yaki pottery in general dates back to the 7th century and is highly valued. It became particularly popular for donabe during the

Edo Period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

. The highest-quality donabe can take two weeks to make. There are multiple styles of donabe made for the preparation of different dishes. Donabe can be used over an open flame, and food is often served out of the donabe. A culture surrounding donabe developed called "nabe o kakomu", which means "surrounding the pot" or a communal meal. The concept has been featured repeatedly in the media and in donabe cookbooks. With use, donabe develop a patina of crackling of the interior glaze called '' kannyu''. This patina is valued as a sign of character. If properly treated, these pots should last for decades and a few special ones have survived for centuries. When a new ''donabe'' is obtained, one should let the ''donabe'' boil water for hours and dry before using it for cooking. Other sources suggest that the user should simply fill the ''donabe'' with water and let it sit overnight. This process should be repeated if the ''donabe'' has been unused for a long time. In old ryoutei of

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

, decades-old ''donabe'' would be stored and only used for special guests. Young ''donabe'' would be used for preparing lunch menus and food for cooks, to age them for this purpose. Donabe is produced by potters of Banko ware, Iga ware,

Shigaraki ware Shigaraki ware (信楽焼) is a type of stoneware pottery made in Shigaraki area, Japan. The kiln is one of the Six Ancient Kilns in Japan. Although figures representing the Japanese raccoon dog, tanuki are a popular product included as Shig ...

, and

Mashiko ware file:Climbing kiln Mashiko.jpg, 270px, Kiln in Mashiko is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 21,841 in 7914 households, and a population density of 240 persons per km2. T ...

. File:Cainz Donabe Hakusen-nagashi 19cm 1.jpg File:Cainz Donabe Hakusen-nagashi 19cm 2.jpg The pots are made by kneading clay, then forming and trimming the formed vessels. They are partially dried and then knobs and handles applied. After another period of drying, they are fired, glazed, and fired again.

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{{Japanese ceramics Japanese food preparation utensils Japanese pottery

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