Nabe is a style of cooking in which vegetables, fish, meat, and other ingredients are stewed in a pot. The ingredients are cooked at the dining table and shared by many people. The piping hot Nabe are especially popular during the cold season. The raw ingredients are placed beside the pot so the diners can add what they want as they go along. It is quite common to put in cooked rice or noodles at the end to make full use of the broth. Nabe became popular in the 17th century with the introduction of the portable stoves.