The History of Shabu-shabu
- April Dykes
- 10月7日
- 読了時間: 5分
As we step into autumn and the weather gets a little chillier, it’s officially nabe season. What is nabe? Nabe refers to hot pot dishes prepared in a pot that is also called a nabe. Hot pot is a “communal dining experience where diners cook thinly sliced meat, seafood, vegetables, and other ingredients in a simmering pot of flavored broth at the table” (Chowbus).
Nabe has been a part of Japanese culture since the Kofun era, with 4 different categories: meat, seafood, vegetable, and variety. Ishikari nabe is famous in Hokkaido. Dotenabe is famous in Chugoku. Kanto-style oden is famous in Kanto. Today, let’s talk about Kansai’s specialty, shabu shabu.
The History of Shabu-shabu
Though one of Kansai’s famous dishes, this delicious hot pot is known throughout all of Japan. Shabu shabu is a simple hot pot dish traditionally comprised of thinly sliced beef and vegetables boiled in a broth made from kombu, kelp. Nowadays, the beef can be substituted with chicken, pork, or tofu, and while kombu broth is most common, you can customize it to suit your taste.
The origins of shabu-shabu
While we know that shabu-shabu was first served at a restaurant in Osaka in the 1950s, did you know that many theorize that shabu-shabu was inspired by a popular Beijing dish called Shuan Yang Rou? Shuan Yang Rou is a mutton hot pot that dates back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). 'Shuan' refers to the action of swishing the sliced lamb in the broth, and 'Yang Rou' means lamb.
Shuan Yang Rou is prepared in a copper pot that is continuously heated by coals as the mutton boils with vegetables such as mushrooms and cabbage, until the meat turns white. When Shoya Yoshida, a leader of the folk art movement, experienced this during his time as a military doctor during World War II, it left a profound impression.
After the war, Yoshida returned to Japan, unable to forget Shuan Yang Rou. He shared the experience with his friend, who worked at Judan-ya, the Gion restaurant in Kyoto. As the dish was, though delicious, it wasn’t something that many Japanese people were used to at the time, as mutton wasn’t common. To combat this, they experimented and landed on beef as a substitute for lamb.
After the dish suited Japanese tastes, it was named ‘Beef Mizutaki’ and introduced to the public in 1945. The altered dish became so popular that it spread throughout the Kansai region. Its name changed from Beef Mizutani to shabu-shabu when the Suehiro main store in Eirakucho, Osaka, turned it into shabu-shabu.
After Beef Mizutaki became popular, it made its way to restaurants in Osaka. One of those restaurants was Suehiro. It was here that the shabu-shabu that we know today was invented. While Suehiro’s shabu-shabu took inspiration from Beef Mizutaki, it didn’t have a meat-based broth and wasn’t dipped in raw egg after boiling. Instead, it is dipped in ponzu or sesame. “The unique name "shabu-shabu" was coined by Miyake Tadakazu of Suehiro's main branch in Eirakucho, Osaka, when he introduced it as a dish at his restaurant in 1952 (Showa 27).
It is said that the name was derived from the way restaurant staff at the time rinsed towels in basins, which resembled the way meat was heated in a pot, and the rhythmic sound of the water that accompanied this” (Hyoki, 2018). Since 1952, shabu-shabu has become a staple of Japanese cuisine, typically enjoyed during the colder months, though it is now enjoyed year-round.
How to eat shabu-shabu
Below, Savor Japan gives an in-depth guide on how to enjoy shabu-shabu at a restaurant.
First, the server will bring a pot of broth to the table. Cover the nabe pot and allow the broth to come to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer for cooking. During the meal, try to keep the broth at a low boil to prevent overcooking.
Then, add vegetables to the pot and cook briefly to add flavor to the broth. Harder vegetables like carrots will take longer to cook, while leafy vegetables tend to cook more quickly.
Next, cook the meat and seafood, swishing the pieces lightly through the broth or submerging them briefly. Cook only enough meat at a time for one or two bites, rather than trying to cook everything at once. Shabu-shabu should be enjoyed like fondue, with the ingredients cooked over the course of the meal. In addition, adding too many items to the nabe pot at once can lower the temperature of the boiling broth and interrupt cooking.
Remove the cooked meat and vegetables from the pot and dip them into the various sauces. Generally, ponzu is used for vegetables and sesame sauce for meat, although this can be varied according to one’s own personal tastes.
Enjoy the cooked meat and vegetables dipped simply in sauce, or eat them together with rice. At the end of the meal, rice or udon noodles mixed with raw beaten egg can be added to the broth for everyone to share as a finisher.
Shabu-shabu at home
If you’re enjoying shabu-shabu at home, you will need a portable gas stove, a gas canister, a donabe, and long cooking chopsticks. Below, Namiko Hirasawa Chen from Just One Cookbook introduces a delicious step-by-step shabu-shabu recipe that can be made at home.
Step 1 – Prepare the broth and reheat the udon. Soak the kombu and water in a donabe for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, if you’re going to serve udon noodles at the end of your hot pot meal, reheat the frozen udon in boiling water. Drain and set aside on a plate.
Step 2 – Cut the vegetables. Cut the napa cabbage, shungiku, carrots, and Tokyo negi into bite-sized pieces. Grate the daikon and chop the green onion and place in small bowls.
Step 3 – Prep the mushrooms and tofu. Break the shimeji and enoki into smaller chunks and cut the shiitake stems. Cut the tofu.
Step 4 – Arrange the platters. Set the tofu, mushrooms and vegetables on one plate and the beef on another. Place them on the table along with the donabe and portable burner.
Step 5 – Cook the dense vegetables. Bring the dashi to a boil over medium heat; remove the kombu just before boiling. Add the tofu, thick parts of the napa cabbage and shungiku, carrots, and some mushrooms. Simmer until cooked.
Step 6 – Cook the meat. Briefly swish the beef in the broth until no longer pink.
Step 7 – Serve and keep cooking. Self-serve the cooked food as it’s ready and dip in sauces to enjoy.
Step 8 – Skim and add the leafy vegetables. Cook until tender and serve. Cook the meat as you’re ready to eat, and enjoy the other ingredients while restocking the pot along the way.
Step 9 – Make the udon finishing course. After the main course of the meal, heat the noodles and serve in the bowls of ponzu sauce diluted with shabu shabu broth.
As we transition into fall, remember to stay warm, look forward to the leaves changing colors soon, and enjoy all of the different hot pots the season has to offer.
Happy autumn 🍂
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