Tagawa Hormone Hotpot
A hearty hotpot once enjoyed by coal miners to fuel their hard work

About Tagawa Hormone Hotpot

Tagawa Hormone Hotpot (田川ホルモン鍋, Tagawa horumon nabe) is a beloved local delicacy from Tagawa City in Fukuoka Prefecture. This dish features tender pieces of hormone (offal) seasoned with yakiniku sauce, stir-fried and simmered together with a generous amount of vegetables like onions, cabbage, bean sprouts, and garlic chives on an iron griddle.

While the ingredients are somewhat similar to motsu nabe, Tagawa Hormone Hotpot sets itself apart with its sweet and savory flavor, which comes from marinating the offal in yakiniku sauce instead of stewing it in a miso or soy-based broth.

The Chikuho region, where Tagawa City is located, once thrived as a major coal mining area that powered Japan’s energy needs. At its peak, the Chikuho coalfield was the largest in the country, accounting for more than half of Japan's coal production before World War II. Among the hearty meals that sustained the hard-working coal miners in this area was Tagawa Hormone Hotpot, which was once known as "Tonchan" and has since become affectionately called "Tagawa Hormone Hotpot."

A unique Tagawa tradition is the “double finish”: first, adding udon noodles to the remaining broth for a satisfying second course, followed by cooking rice in the sauce to create a rich porridge. This delightful ritual completes the Tagawa-style culinary experience.

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