Seasons are Japan’s and Korea's specialty, and there are plenty of delicious ways to appreciate this one—from nourishing hot pots to traditional New Year’s dishes, here are the NikanKitchen's top winter picks. Shiruko is a soup made with sweet adzuki beans and those familiar mochi balls/squares you might have seen at teahouses on your travels. Nabe, a general term meaning “pot”, covers a whole range of delicious dishes that are stews or soups cooked in an iron or clay pot. There are quite a few varieties to try, from the sumo-specialty chanko-nabe, which has plenty of protein, to the simple all-rounder yosenabe, which is any mix of vegetables and meats in a dashi broth. For meat lovers make sure you try motsunabe, which has beef and/or pork offal, while sukiyaki is made with thin slices of beef and cubes of tofu. Shabu-shabu is one of the most popular kinds, named after the swishing sound of the thinly sliced meat as you cook it quickly in the hot broth. The best thing about nabe is that it’s a great group dish; there’s nothing better than sharing a steaming pot with friends, picking and choosing your favorite bits and combining skills for tricky chopstick maneuvers. Find the NikanKitchen's top winter eats in Korea and Japan!