Shishi nabe and shishi-jiru are traditional dishes from the mountainous regions of Nara Prefecture, made with wild boar meat. Shishi nabe is a hearty hot pot, while shishi-jiru is a soup featuring the same distinctive meat. Both are especially comforting during the cold winter months, offering rich flavors and a warming meal inspired by the region’s mountain food culture.
Wild boar meat has a distinctive aroma and robust flavor. To balance these characteristics, shishi nabe is traditionally prepared with plenty of aromatic vegetables, such as burdock root, green onions, mizuna mustard greens, and edible chrysanthemum greens. Ginger and ground Japanese pepper are often added as seasonings to enhance the flavor and help mellow the meat’s stronger aroma.
The ingredients are simmered in a miso-based broth, allowing the savory flavor of the meat to blend with the vegetables and seasonings. The result is a deeply satisfying hot pot that warms the body from within on chilly evenings.
Nara’s mountainous areas have long been home to wild animals, including boar, deer, and bears. These animals lived among the region’s forests, feeding on acorns and other nuts from wild trees. With no coastline and historically limited access to seafood, people in the inland region relied more heavily on hunting as a source of animal protein.
Wild boar and venison were once regularly eaten in local communities. Hunting also helped manage wildlife populations, making the use of wild game an important part of traditional life in the mountains.
Shishi nabe and shishi-jiru reflect the close relationship between Nara’s mountain communities and their natural surroundings. The combination of wild boar, seasonal vegetables, miso, and warming spices creates a rustic dish with a distinctive regional character.
For visitors exploring the Yoshino, Tenkawa, and Totsukawa areas, these traditional wild game dishes offer a taste of the region’s history and the resourceful cooking traditions that developed in Japan’s mountainous interior.