落とし穴８０堀：鍋の戦い冬の陣 (Part1)
**Pitfall 80: The Hot Pot War - Winter Campaign**
**The Hot Pot War - Winter Campaign**
**Side: Yuki**
Well, with things moving along so busily, I realized that the weather had turned cold and the end of the year was approaching. It’s the time of year that truly earns the name *Shiwasu* (the month of running around).
Having lived for twenty-some years, I’ve reached the point where I just think, "Oh, it's that time again."
When you're a child, you get excited about winter break, Christmas, and New Year’s money. But as an adult, it’s just another day of work. Living alone, going back to your parents' house becomes a chore, and the end of the year just feels like a busy period.
Still, there are things that make you feel the season.
Food.
It is an essential part of human existence, something humanity has been refining and building upon since ancient times. In a way, you could call it the oldest academic discipline of mankind.
To eat is to live. And humanity has evolved this beyond mere nutritional intake, pursuing flavor, beauty, and the joy of eating. Furthermore, food changes with the seasonal ingredients and climate. Yes, it might be an extreme way of putting it, but people feel the seasons through their food.
"Well, that’s true. You certainly do feel the seasons through food."
"I agree. Seeing roasted sweet potatoes being sold on the way home from school is a classic sign of winter, isn't it?"
Listening to my musings were Taizo-san and Taiki-kun.
"But Yuki-kun, are you sure about this? Even if it is just a hot pot, you were invited to a meal."
"I'm happy about it too, but wouldn't you rather spend a relaxing time with your wives and children?"
"It’s not like we do this every day, so it’s fine. Besides, since the three of us Japanese are here, I thought it might be fun to make a variety of hot pots. My wives have had hot pot a few times, but it’s always been my original recipe. It’s hard to try making different kinds when I’m the only one who knows them."
"I see."
"Ah, that makes sense. With that many people, narrowing down the variety is the right call. So, you're saying we’re here to help divide the labor?"
"Exactly. Though, one type per person is probably the limit."
"Is that because if there are too many, everyone won't be able to taste them all? I see. This really tests our knowledge of hot pot, doesn't it, Taiki-kun?"
"Eh? Knowledge?"
"That’s right. Hot pot has always been food for the common folk. The nobility valued tradition, and the standard was to have individual portions served on separate trays. The act of gathering around a single pot was considered low-class. In other words, hot pot developed alongside the common people. To showcase it means to make the best hot pot you know from your own experience. You can't do that without knowledge, can you?"
"O-oh..."
Taiki-kun looked a bit overwhelmed by Taizo-san’s passionate explanation.
"Are you a 'Hot Pot General,' Taizo-san?"
"Hm? No, my mentor was the Hot Pot General. He would explain the exact order in which to put ingredients in and tell me to eat them at the perfect moment."
That must have been suffocating.
"Well, I don't intend to be that strict, so I think you should make whatever you like. So, Yuki-kun, Taiki-kun, what kind of hot pot are you planning to make? I don't want our choices to overlap."
"Let's see. By the way, Yuki-san, what kind of original hot pot have you been serving until now?"
"Hmm, a miso-based kombu and chicken broth, I suppose. The ingredients are vegetables and chicken."
"I see. Then I shall go with a miso-based fish hot pot. It makes for a great flavor, and it's a bounty of the sea."
"Ah, that sounds good. Then I’ll go with sukiyaki. It’s a clear difference, and things like *mizutaki* (water-based hot pot) might overlap with yours, Yuki-san. Oh, are you planning to change your hot pot for this time, Yuki-san?"
"No. Listening to you two, I think I might stick with the same one I’ve been making."
"That’s wise. In the unlikely event that my or Taiki-kun’s hot pot doesn't suit their palates, having your stable hot pot there ensures no one goes hungry."
At first, I had considered coming up with something different, but as Taizo-san said, there’s a chance they might not like what we make, so sticking to the reliable one is probably best. Well, sukiyaki aside, the fish hot pot is miso-based, so it’s similar to a fish-head soup; I doubt the wives would dislike it. They ate until they couldn't move the last time I made fish-head soup at the beach.
And so, the three of us men headed to Super Ratz.
Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve gone shopping like this with Taiki-kun and Taizo-san. I was a bit worried about Taizo-san, given he’s from the era of the Second World War, but...
"This, this, and this."
He placed the necessary items into the cart without hesitation. He seemed quite used to it.
"You're used to this. Did you have places like this back in the day?"
Before I could ask, Taiki-kun, who had appeared from another aisle, spoke up.
"No. There weren't shops this magnificent. But people get used to things. More than that, you don't have to haggle with the shopkeeper, so it’s a relief in that sense. Well, my home was mostly self-sufficient anyway."
"Is that so?"
"I come here often with Hifie-san, so I’m used to it in that regard as well."
I see. They really are a happily married couple.
Well, I need to pick my vegetables, and there’s no reason to keep hiding, so I joined them.
"Oh, are you picking out vegetables too, Yuki-kun?"
"Yes, I am. Are you two doing the same?"
"Yes."
"Indeed."
"Then there are probably things we’ll use in common, so let’s shop together."
We picked up things like Chinese cabbage and *mitsuba*. It wasn't exactly surprising, but it seems Taizo-san is the type to put daikon radish in his fish soup. Some people put bean sprouts or cabbage in miso soup, so it wasn't particularly shocking. Daikon absorbs flavor well, so it’s a common ingredient for stews like this. We also grabbed mushrooms like enoki, maitake, and shiitake. They have great flavor and go well with hot pot.
"But it’s great that there’s a base for sukiyaki. I wouldn't be able to make the broth from scratch, after all."
"Sukiyaki, huh? It’s probably possible, but it seems difficult. Balancing the soy sauce, sugar, and mirin..."
"So sukiyaki uses sugar. I had heard of it, but never had the chance to eat it. I’m looking forward to it."
"Yes, please look forward to it."
As the three of us were chatting and continuing our shopping, we ran into Hifie.
"Oh, Taizo-san."
"Ah, Hifie-san."
"Are you all out shopping together?"
"Yes. We're shopping for tonight's hot pot. Why are you here, Hifie-san? We were supposed to eat together today, weren't we?"