Gatatan (Thick Chinese-Style Miners' Soup) Recipe
By Tim Anderson
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Easy
Gatatan is a thick, Chinese-style soup containing a multitude of ingredients, including meat, seafood, and vegetables. It is filling and nutritious but also cheap, a perfect meal for the miners that once made up the majority of Ashibetsu’s workforce.
Although the mines have long since shut, the people of Ashibetsu have made a concerted effort to preserve and promote gatatan as a matter of local pride.
It is originally based on a Manchurian dish called gēda tāng, named for little flour dumplings called gēda. The soup was introduced to Ashibetsu in the 1950s by Bungonosuke Murai, who learned to make the dish while living in China during Japanese occupation.
The fortifying nature of gatatan made it a hit not only with miners but also with drunks. But you don’t have to be a drunken miner to enjoy it—you just need to be in the mood for a hot, nutritious, soupy hug.
This recipe is extracted from Hokkaido by Tim Anderson, (Hardie Grant, £28), Photography by Laura Edwards
Try Tim Anderson's Laminated Milk Bread (Miru Fiyu Shokupan) or Zangi (Hokkaido-Style Chicken Karaage) recipe!
Ingredients for Gatatan
For dumplings
- 60 g all-purpose flour
- 15 g rice flour (non-glutinous)
- 30 ml just-boiled water
For soup
- 1 tbsp oil
- 120 g pork (any cut)
- 1/4 onion
- 4 leaves Chinese leaf (napa cabbage)
- 4 leaves sweetheart (hispi) or flat cabbage
- 1/2 carrot, peeled
- 60–70 g baby squid
- 2 tbsp sake
- 1.4 litres water, or light pork broth (unseasoned)
- 40 g kamaboko
- 40 g chikuwa
- 50 g bamboo shoots
- 5 g kikurage, rehydrated
- 1 tbsp chicken powder
- 1 tbsp shōyu
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste
- White pepper, to taste (use a generous amount)
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 6 tbsp potato starch, mixed with 100 ml water
- A handful of spinach (large leaf), washed and coarsely chopped
How to make Gatatan
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Make the dumpling dough by kneading together the flours and water until they form a soft but dry dough. Knead only enough to bring the dough together so you don’t develop the gluten too much. Shape the dough into a log about an inch thick. Wrap in cling film (plastic wrap) and rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
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All of the ingredients should be cut into small, thin pieces; they should be small enough so that you can get several different things in one spoonful, but not so small that they have no texture. Heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the pork and onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion has softened. Add the cabbages, carrot, and squid, and sauté for another couple of minutes.
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Add the sake, water or broth, fish cakes, bamboo shoots, kikurage, and all of the seasonings and bring to a low boil.
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Unwrap the dumpling dough and cut it into coin-shaped slices, then drop them into the soup. Stir, then bring the soup back to the boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Pour the beaten egg into the soup while stirring slowly, so it forms thick strands within the soup. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and drizzle in the potato starch slurry. Simmer for a few minutes to thicken, then stir in the spinach. Adjust seasoning as you like, then serve piping hot, in large, deep bowls.
About the author
Tim Anderson is an award-winning chef, writer, and the brilliant mind behind London’s popular ramen izakaya, Nanban. Originally from Wisconsin, Tim’s passion for Japanese food began as a hobby but quickly evolved into a career after winning MasterChef in 2011. With over 20 years of immersion in Japanese food culture, including time spent living in Fukuoka, Tim has authored beloved cookbooks like JapanEasy, Vegan JapanEasy, and the award-winning Tokyo Stories. His work celebrates authentic Japanese flavours with a fresh and accessible twist.
