Japanese Clay Pot, Donabe: How to Cook Rice in a Clay Pot and Use and Care

[@rinafox]

Perfect way of explaining how to season a Donabe. Thank you 😊

[@cookingJapan]

Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled to hear that my video was helpful. I'm also pleasantly surprised to see the interest from people outside of Japan in Japanese donabe. It's truly wonderful to see how food can bridge cultural gaps and bring people together. Happy cooking with your donabe!🙏🏻🥰

[@TomMaynard--TCM--]

It's just magical to watch. Love rhis video!

[@cookingJapan]

Hello. Thank you for your pleasant comment! I'm very happy!

[@Isabelle5x]

OMG, so artistically done! Never knew the serenity of making rice. I couldn't stop watching.

[@cookingJapan]

Hello, Thank you for your pleasant comment! I am so happy to hear that. Japanese people pretty pernickety - especially about rice 😆 We love rice!

[@rafaelkoga5762]

Thank you very much, I tried your recipe and it worked beautifully!!

[@cookingJapan]

Hello! Thank you for your pleasant comment! There are also Donabe all over the world!? I'm surprised! I appreciate your kind words. Thank you.

[@zebragiraffe1]

i finally bought my small donabe on my last trip to Japan in 2023, and oh my! I don't ever want to cook rice any other way. And yes, good quality Japanese rice steamed well tastes so delicious just by itself!

[@cookingJapan]

Hello! You bought a donabe in Japan! And you cook Japanese rice with it👏 Even among Japanese people, not many use a donabe 😂 Amazing! Thank you for your comment. Have a great weekend!

[@zebragiraffe1]

Thank you for your kind comments. This video was really beautifully made. The music choice interesting , the topic educational and informative and video shot with such a professional eye😊. I will check out your other videos. By the way, cooking rice in my donabe brings me so much pleasure because number one, it is such a beautiful pot, number two, the rice tastes so good and number three , it takes so much less time than my old electric rice cooker with the questionable coating on the aluminum interior pot😅. Please have a very nice weekend yourself.❤

[@cookingJapan]

​@@zebragiraffe1 Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed my video. 🙏🏻 It sounds like you enjoy using your donabe! Cooking rice in a donabe truly brings joy and enhances the taste✨

[@annecuervo89]

Thank you for this beautiful and informative video! I had used an electric rice cooker for many years, but the nonstick coating was wearing off the metal and I started researching healthier options. Now I definitely want to buy a donabe! I appreciate good quality rice and traditional cooking so I’m glad to learn something new. I’m looking forward to making this delicious rice.

[@cookingJapan]

Thank you for your kind comment! I'm delighted to hear that the video was helpful and that someone from overseas is interested in donabe. My donabe is specifically for cooking rice. In the summer, I recommend making corn rice with a donabe. I also have a video on that, so please check it out when you make it. Thank you 🙏🏻😊

[@KzLollapalooza]

Very high quality video! It's so fun to watch! Thank you!

[@cookingJapan]

Thank you so much for your kind words🙏🏻 I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I'm really grateful that you found my video among all the other content out there! Thanks again for watching 😊

[@NanaLine001]

Very well done! Filled with information and very pleasing to the eyes and the ears. Arigatou gozaimasu.

[@cookingJapan]

Thank you for the comment! Your words really make my day, and in Japanese too! I truly appreciate it. Have a good day :)

[@miagoldstein3674]

Thank you for the video! My small Donabe doesn't have a double lid. will the cooking process be the same? Arigato!

[@cookingJapan]

Hello, thanks for your comment! Basically the same. However, the time to cook and steam the rice depends on a Donabe. For the Donabe without a double lid, if it boils, it ’s about 15 minutes low heat may be better. If the water runs out, turn off the heat and let it steam for about 15 minutes. As you get through several times you get a knack of it. You will be able to know the individuality of your Donabe. Have fun!

[@Rebjaq30]

Can u used donabe in an electric stove. Unfortunately my apt has an electric stove with a flat surface... No burners

[@cookingJapan]

Hello. Thank you for your comment. Donabe is usually made for direct flame and doesn't work well with the heat from an electric stove. I'm sorry about that. Thank you for watching my video!

[@littledino2561]

Beautiful and satisfying ♥️ i love my rice cook with ih zojirushi. And tempted to try it with donabe. But the thing is take too much time to prepare 🤭🤭

[@cookingJapan]

Thanks for watching the video! True, donabe does take a bit more time and effort to prepare 😂. Rice cookers are one of Japan's pride in kitchen appliances! They do the job just fine👍🤭

[@user-ic5xu4jh6z]

Hello from Europe, Austria! Thank you for this wonderful video! May i ask is it possible to bake bread in Donabe pots in generally? I would start to bake with the lid on but the pot has to be preheated so the dough will be given into the hot pot into the oven at 250°C and then lower the temperature down to ~ 210 and 180°C after 20 minutes and bake without the lid on the pot. Is this possible because many pots with glasure will not allow the 250°C in the beginning. I hope you can give me more informations about this great pots! Have a nice day🙏💐

[@cookingJapan]

Hello. Thank you for watching the video🙏🏻 Regarding your question, the donabe introduced in this video is specifically designed for cooking rice. It is made from Iga clay and glazed with kuroame, containing no impurities. This type of donabe cannot be used in the oven or for baking bread. However, there are mass-produced donabe pots that are suitable for baking bread. Unfortunately, I do not own such a donabe, so I don't have knowledge about baking bread with donabe. I apologize for not being able to answer your question. If you search "土鍋 パン (donabe bread)" on KZbin, you might find videos about baking bread in donabe. Thank you for your comment from Austria❤️ and have a great day!😊

[@karinetan1125]

Lovely video! I just got a donabe few days ago. Was wondering how to you maintain the bottom area to be clean? I’ve seasoned it, but after the second use, some parts of it already turned slightly charred. Is this normal?

[@cookingJapan]

Hello! Thank you for watching the donabe video. Fortunately, I haven't had issues with my donabe getting charred, but it's quite common for the bottom to develop some charring. Here's what you can do: If there's some char inside: Fill it with lukewarm water and let it sit for a while. Use a wooden spatula to remove the char, then wash it. Repeat this 2-3 times for a clean result. While preventing charring is tricky, it's recommended to clean off any char each time you wash it. If left, it becomes harder to remove. Soaking it in lukewarm water for a bit usually helps to get rid of most char. For more stubborn charring: Fill it about 70% with water and bring it to a boil, then let it sit. If that doesn't work, try boiling water with a bit of baking soda. Let it sit again and then wash. Enjoy Donabe!!

[@petitexjoan]

thank you for the explanation! may i ask why we shouldn’t use soap? is it only for the first time we shouldn’t use soap?

[@cookingJapan]

Hello. Thank you for watching! I think it's best not to use soap. Because Donabe absorbs water very much and expands and contracts when put on fire ( It's natural to crack! ). I do not use Donabe when soaking rice in water. If you do that, water will leak from the Donabe. Because it is easy for water to pass through, it is said that if you use detergent, it will absorb the detergent. I think it's better not to use soap not only at the beginning but all the time 😉

[@petitexjoan]

@@cookingJapan whoa thank you so much for your answer! 😊

[@Lumbago_47]

honest question, is the draining and soaking for 30 mins each really needed?

[@cookingJapan]

Hello, and thank you for your comment! There are different ways to cook rice. One method involves soaking the rice before cooking, and another method doesn’t require soaking. In the method without soaking, I wash the rice and then let it drain for 30 minutes. During this time, the rice actually absorbs water. This method is often used for newly harvested fresh rice. If you cook the rice immediately after washing, it can sometimes remain hard in the center. I apologize for not explaining this well in the video. Thanks for watching the video!

[@Lumbago_47]

@@cookingJapan thank you very much for answering my question

[@karenleslie]

My Japanese daughter-in-law laughs at me for cooking rice this way, and says I am a little bit crazy :)

[@cookingJapan]

Ahaha 😂 You seem more Japanese! Your comment gave me a good chuckle! Thanks for watching the video! 🍚😄

[@rebeccawong1]

Is it too late to season now that I have used it three times without proper seasoning 😅

[@cookingJapan]

😅 I think it's worth a try!

[@cookingJapan]

I do it regularly to prevent cracking!

[@vidskrish]

is the pot certified lead and cadmium free and toxin free in both the clay and the glaze. would you know please ? 🙏

[@cookingJapan]

Thank you for bringing up this question about harmful substances in clay pots. To be honest, I have never thought about it before, and I don't have the knowledge to answer it. I'm sorry. But I appreciate your concern and interest in the topic. Thank you for watching my video and leaving a comment. Have a great day!

[@12S73Y32E]

Nunca he cocinado con flores de cerezo. La verdad es que me apetece, pero no acabo de verlo claro. Como que me da cosa, no sé. Vosotros qué opináis? Habéis cocinado ya con flores??? Pensaba hacer esta receta: donabe.online/guiso-de-fideos-somen-con-flores-de-cerezo/ O aconsejadme otra receta que os guste más

[@cookingJapan]

Hola. Gracias por tu comentario. Wow! Es un plato muy interesante! Gracias por la interesante información. Yo tampoco he cocinado nunca con flores de cerezo. También quiero estudiar más sobre la cocción de flores.