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A workshop at SingleThread Farm in Northern California demonstrated how the Japanese donabe clay pot can shape more than cooking: its slow heat, smoke and shared-table use can influence how a meal unfolds. The report describes the event and the pot’s role in SingleThread’s approach to seasonal food; it does not report a new product or formal announcement.
Chefs at SingleThread Farm demonstrated how the Japanese donabe clay pot can shape the pace and shared rituals of a meal during a workshop at the farm’s second annual FieldNotes gathering in Northern California. The event showed the vessel being used for slow cooking, smoking and communal dishes, extending its role from cookware to part of how food is prepared, presented and eaten.
SingleThread owner and chef Kyle Connaughton, joined by chef of special projects Alex Fuentes, led the session, titled “Advanced Donabe: Smoke, Fire & Seasonal Technique.” The workshop moved between Japanese techniques and other preparations, with demonstrations designed to show the range of cooking possible in the earthenware pot.
One tasting paired a potato with sunflower nori pesto; another featured smoked salmon with long-scallion shio-koji vinaigrette and radish. According to the Design Milk report, cherry blossom wood chips placed in a smoker donabe gave the salmon a delicate smoky flavor. Lifting the lid released the smoke and aroma into the room, making the reveal part of the meal’s presentation.
Connaughton also demonstrated a communal, fondue-like preparation using a donabe. The source describes the workshop as an exploration of how the vessel affects the timing and social experience of eating, not simply the mechanics of cooking. It does not provide a full event program or audience response beyond the reporter’s account.
The workshop’s central point was that cooking equipment can influence the experience around food as well as its flavor. A donabe’s heat retention supports slow, even cooking, while a lidded smoker can hold aroma until the moment it is opened. At a shared table, those features can create anticipation, conversation and a common serving moment.
That approach aligns with SingleThread’s stated focus on how food is grown, cooked and shared. The report offers a specific example of that philosophy in practice: a centuries-old vessel used in a contemporary restaurant and farm setting to connect technique, presentation and communal eating. The broader impact beyond the workshop is not measured in the source.
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Iga Clay and SingleThread’s Practice
A donabe is a Japanese earthenware pot designed for cooking over an open flame. Its clay walls absorb and retain heat, allowing food to cook gradually while holding moisture. The report identifies Iga as a notable source of donabe and names Nagatani-en, an eighth-generation pottery family whose work dates to 1832.
Connaughton attributes the properties of Iga donabe to the local clay. “The magic of the Iga clay is really its terroir,” he said, describing fossil-rich layers and the clay’s porosity after firing as factors in the pot’s heating behavior. This is Connaughton’s explanation in the report, rather than an independently tested finding presented there.
His interest in donabe developed during time spent living in Hokkaido in the early 2000s, where his family used one through cold winters. In 2011, he traveled to Iga with Naoko Takei Moore, who imports Iga donabe to the United States through her company Toiro. They later wrote Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking. The FieldNotes gathering brought that history into a practical demonstration for chefs, farmers, winemakers and artisans.
What the Workshop Does Not Establish
The report does not state the date of the FieldNotes event, how many people attended, or whether SingleThread plans additional donabe workshops. It also does not provide independent testing of the cooking claims or compare donabe performance with other cookware. The account is a report on a demonstration and tasting, not a product evaluation or announcement of a new pot.
Some details of the communal dish are cut off in the supplied source material, so its full ingredients and preparation cannot be confirmed here. The reported examples establish that the chefs used donabe for smoking and shared dishes, but not how widely those methods are used across SingleThread’s restaurants.
SingleThread’s Upcoming Projects
The Design Milk report also situates the workshop amid planned SingleThread projects. It says the group’s first international restaurant, SoNoMa by SingleThread, opened in March inside Capella Kyoto, and that a book titled SingleThread: A Seasonal Approach to Intentional Cooking, Farming, and Hospitality was scheduled for release in November. It also reported that The Selvedge, a bed-and-breakfast project created with AvroKO, was due to open. The source does not specify the calendar year for those dates, so their current status cannot be confirmed from this material.
No further donabe-specific event or product release is announced in the report. The immediate next step for readers seeking details is to check SingleThread’s current event and project information, particularly because the article’s publication timing and the stated future dates are not supplied.
Key Questions
What is a donabe?
A donabe is a Japanese earthenware pot designed for cooking over an open flame. Its clay walls retain heat and can support slow, even cooking.
What did the SingleThread workshop demonstrate?
Chef Kyle Connaughton and Alex Fuentes demonstrated traditional and contemporary uses, including smoking salmon and preparing a communal, fondue-like dish.
Why did the salmon dish create a dramatic reveal?
The report says cherry blossom wood chips smoked the salmon inside a covered donabe. When the lid was lifted, smoke and aroma escaped into the room.
Does the report announce a new donabe product?
No. It describes a cooking workshop and the role of the pot in SingleThread’s approach to food. It does not announce a new product.
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