Chanko hot pot at a sumo show

What chankonabe is

Chankonabe, also known as chanko or sumo stew, is a one-pot dish that wrestlers eat in very large helpings. Wikipedia says the base is a dashi or chicken broth seasoned with sake or mirin. No fixed recipe governs it, and the pot often takes whatever the cook has to hand. Most of the bulk is protein, such as chicken, fried fish balls or tofu, with vegetables like daikon and bok choy. Because of that freedom, each stable is known for its own version.

How a stable serves it

Wikipedia says chankonabe is traditionally served according to seniority. The senior wrestlers and any guests of the stable receive first choice, and the junior wrestlers get whatever is left. Modern wrestlers usually eat it with large amounts of rice, along with beer, to take in more calories. Wikipedia notes that the stable cooks start preparing the meal during the practice of the higher-ranked wrestlers, and that the cooking is a rotating task. A show borrows the dish, not the rank order.

Why tournaments use chicken

Wikipedia reports that during tournaments the stew is made with chicken only. The reason it gives is symbolic: chickens stand on two legs, and wrestlers are meant never to drop onto all fours. That is a custom, not a rule of cooking. The booking page describes the hot pot at the Kiyosumi show as a chicken chanko, which fits the tournament custom.

What the Kiyosumi show offers

The booking page lists an all-you-can-eat chicken chanko hot pot and bottled water with the VIP option, and only at certain shows. The calendar names the options and shows, so read the option before you pay. Without the VIP option the meal is not listed. Alcohol and soft drinks are paid for on site. Vegetarian food can be requested when you book, which matters because a chanko is often a chicken stew. Ask in advance rather than on the day.

Chanko in restaurants

Chankonabe is also a popular restaurant food. Wikipedia says that restaurants run by retired sumo wrestlers specialise in it, and that the first of them, Kawasaki Chanko, opened in 1937 in the Ryogoku district. If you want chanko without a show, Ryogoku is the place to look. A restaurant meal gives you the dish alone, without the demonstrations, and the choice depends on whether the stable setting or the food comes first for you.

How to check you picked the meal

On the booking calendar, look at the option names for your date and not just the price. The hot pot and bottled water belong to the VIP option, and only certain shows carry it, so a date without it has no meal. Drinks, alcoholic or not, are paid for on site, and you travel to the venue at your own cost. If the option you want is missing on your date, try another date rather than hoping the meal will turn up on the day.

Who the meal is for

The hot pot suits visitors who want to eat what the wrestlers eat and who prefer a hearty dish to a light snack. Vegetarians who have not asked in advance, and anyone who wants a fixed multi-course dinner, will be disappointed. The show also runs without the meal. If you only want the performance, choose an option without the VIP label and eat elsewhere.

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