Origins & Popularity of the Japanese Hot Pot.
Shabu shabu is another one of Japanese’s delicious specialties. Learn the shabu shabu history, its origins, and how it popularized around the world.
Shabu Shabu History, A Timeline
What is Shabu Shabu?
Shabu shabu is a Japanese nabemono, or hot pot, in which beef along with vegetables is cooked in dashi broth at the table. The meal comes with dipping sauces, sesame and ponzu, and rice on the side. The beef can be substituted with pork, chicken, or seafood, and the protein choice is typically a regional preference in the country.
Chinese and Mongolian Origins
Hot pot cooking originated in China as far back as the Zhou Dynasty in 1046 to 256 BC.
Later during the Yuan Dynasty from 1271 to 1368 AD, it was said that Kublai Khan enjoyed an instant-boiled mutton hot pot before a battle. After a victory, he would serve it to his Mongol army. This fast timing of cooking was said to have influenced modern hot pot styles.
Hot pot cooking was further popularized among the Chinese emperors of the Qing Dynasty from 1644 to 1912 where it was served with large celebrations as well as regular every day. During this time period, Chinese traders brought this style of cooking abroad to countries like Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Shabu Shabu in Japan
The Japanese style of hot pot arrived late in Japan. It has been told that a doctor from the Tottori prefecture (northwest of Kyoto) was sent to Beijing as an army surgeon during World War II. There, he tried shuan yan rou, the Mongolian mutton hot pot, which was typically served as a winter dish.
After the war in 1946, he lived in Kyoto where he introduced the dish to a chef at one of his favorite restaurants. Because lamb was difficult to source, the chef used beef as well as a broth and sauces more suitable to the Japanese palate. At the time, they called the dish mizudaki, meaning “cooked in hot water.”
In 1952, Suehiro, a restaurant in Osaka (that still exists today), officially renamed mizudaki to shabu shabu, as this was its house specialty. The name plays on the sounds made from the beef swish swishing in the broth as it quickly cooks. Shabu shabu literally translates to swish swish.
Soon after in 1955, shabu shabu made its way to Tokyo where it later spread as a beloved dish throughout the country.
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