Chankonabe

Did You Know?

• Chankonabe served during sumo tournaments is made exclusively with chicken, based on the idea that a wrestler should always be on two legs like a chicken, not on all fours.
• The first chankonabe restaurant, Kawasaki Chanko, opened in 1937 in the Ryōgoku district of Tokyo.

Ingredients and consumption

The dish is built on a dashi or chicken broth soup base, often flavored with sake or mirin. There is no fixed recipe; cooks use whatever is available, typically including large amounts of protein such as quartered chicken with skin left on, fried fish balls, tofu, or sometimes beef, along with vegetables like daikon and bok choy. Though reasonably healthy, chankonabe is very protein-rich and served in massive portions. Modern sumo wrestlers commonly eat five to ten bowls of rice per meal alongside the stew, plus beer, to boost caloric intake.

Leftover broth may later be used for sōmen or udon noodles. Despite their size, active sumo wrestlers tend to have low levels of visceral fat, storing most fat subcutaneously; researchers link this to intense daily training and a diet low in sugar, processed foods, and added oils, helping maintain near-normal blood glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels. The stew is served by seniority: senior wrestlers and guests choose first, while junior wrestlers take what remains.