Cooking With The Steam From Hell.

Cooking with steam goes back many thousands of years ago. So-called "primitive" peoples who lived near hot springs were lucky to have steamers provided by nature in their neighborhoods. Nowadays, we steam with rice cookers, automatic steamers, pots made from metal placed over electronic or gas burners, and the idea of naturally steaming food seems quaint or adventurous.

Japan's most commonly enjoyed hot spring dish is eggs boiled and flavored with thermal mineral water called onsen tamago. 

Just leave an egg in hot onsen water, wait, scoop it out, and eat. However, in some places of the world, particularly the Kannawa Onsen area in Beppu, Oita, steam cooking is relished and is much more complicated. Jigoku-Mushi, or hell steamed, Cuisine) is what the people of Beppu call it. The Beppuans say you should enjoy this cooking style while alive, not in the hell after death. 

Many Beppu hotels serve jigoku-mushi dishes to guests. Beppu City cheaply rents public steaming pits, as shown in the photograph. Some hot spring resorts invite visitors to cook with steam pits on their properties.

Check out this amusing BBC video about steaming eggs in hot springs and bathing with swans. Yes, swans!

Three Small Steam Ovens at a Local Beppu Hot Spring

Ready to Eat

Smiling and Steaming

A Finished Plate of Seafood and Eggs

Choices of Seafood

Thick gloves are a necessity.