Shabu shabu is a popular Japanese dish where thin slices of meat and vegetables are cooked tableside in a simmering pot of broth The name comes from the “swish swish” sound the ingredients make when swirled around in the hot broth before eating. While it has origins in Osaka, shabu shabu is now enjoyed all across Japan and around the world
What is Shabu Shabu?
Shabu shabu is a style of Japanese hot pot that features paper-thin slices of meat cooked together with vegetables in a communal pot at the dining table. It’s considered a more interactive and social style of eating hot pot compared to sukiyaki or other types, where ingredients are pre-cooked before serving.
The most popular cuts of meat used are beef and pork, but chicken, lamb, and seafood can also be used. The meat slices are lightly swished or dipped in a dashi or kombu broth until just cooked through, then dipped in sauce before eating. Common dipping sauces include ponzu, sesame, soy sauce, and spicy chili oil.
The dish is usually served with a variety of fresh vegetables like cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, negi, and tofu. At the end of the meal, the remaining broth can be used to make a porridge or noodle dish.
History and Origins
Shabu shabu originated in Osaka in the 1950s after World War II, when meat became more widely available in Japan. Restaurants wanted a way to showcase quality beef to customers and allow them to taste the meat’s natural flavors.
The dish was popularized by the restaurant Suzukawaya, which claims to have invented the name The “shabu shabu” onomatopoeia came from the sound the paper-thin slices of meat made when swished in the bubbling dashi broth
From Osaka, shabu shabu spread to become a nationally beloved dish and staple of Japanese cuisine. It also became popular abroad, especially in the United States.
Shabu Shabu Equipment
To enjoy shabu shabu properly, you’ll need a few key pieces of equipment:
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Nabe pot – A wide, flat-bottomed pot to cook the ingredients in. Nabe pots designed specifically for shabu shabu often have a divider to allow cooking with two broths.
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Portable burner or hot plate – This allows cooking the ingredients at the table. Many shabu shabu restaurants have IH cooktops built into the tables.
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Chopsticks – Separate cooking chopsticks are used to handle the raw ingredients and cooked items. Don’t use your personal eating chopsticks.
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Ladle – For scooping out ingredients like noodles from the broth.
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Skimmer – To skim off any froth from the broth during cooking.
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Dipping bowls – Small individual bowls for the dipping sauces.
Shabu Shabu Ingredients
The three main components of shabu shabu are the broth, meats/protein, and vegetables:
Broth
- Kombu dashi – The traditional shabu shabu broth is an umami-rich kombu seaweed dashi. More modern twists include miso or tomato-based broths.
Meats and Protein
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Beef – Thinly sliced ribeye, sirloin, chuck, or tenderloin. Beef is the most popular and traditional shabu shabu meat.
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Pork – Also sliced paper-thin, pork adds flavor and variety.
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Chicken – A lighter protein option suitable for those who don’t eat red meat.
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Lamb – Offers a unique flavor for shabu shabu.
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Seafood – Fish, scallops, shrimp and squid can be cooked shabu shabu style.
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Tofu – A vegetarian protein source that soaks up broth flavors.
Vegetables
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms (enoki, shimeji, shiitake)
- Negi (Welsh onion)
- Carrots
- Chrysanthemum greens
- Spinach
- Corn
- Daikon radish
Dipping Sauces
- Ponzu – Soy sauce citrus dipping sauce
- Goma dare – Sesame seed dipping sauce
- Soy sauce
- Spicy chili sauce
Optional condiments:
- Scallions
- Grated daikon
- Shichimi togarashi
How to Eat Shabu Shabu
Shabu shabu is meant to be a slow, interactive dining experience. Here are some tips on the proper etiquette:
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Cook ingredients for just yourself or one other person at a time, no more. Don’t overload the pot.
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Swish the meat and vegetables briefly in the simmering broth until just cooked. Don’t overcook.
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Dip the cooked items in sauce before eating. Use cooking chopsticks to handle raw ingredients.
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Add cooked rice or noodles to the broth at the end to soak up flavors.
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Optional final step: Mix egg into the broth to make a porridge.
The interactive, do-it-yourself cooking style of shabu shabu promotes conversation and a relaxed, slow meal. Take your time to savor the communal experience.
Shabu Shabu Variations
While the standard is hot shabu shabu cooked tableside, some variations exist:
Hiyashi Shabu Shabu
A cold version for summer, with thinly sliced meat and vegetables dipped in iced broth and served with chilled dipping sauce.
Rei Shabu
Meat and vegetables are parboiled before serving, then briefly dipped in hot broth to heat through and eat. Broth is more soup-like.
Yosenabe Shabu Shabu
Broth contains medicinal Chinese herbs and ingredients like ginseng and ginger. Known as a healthy shabu option.
Ruibe Shabu Shabu
Uses sake kasu (sake lees), the fermentation byproduct of making sake, to flavor the broth. Provides unique umami depth.
Shabu Shabu Health Benefits
Despite the meat focus, shabu shabu can actually be a relatively healthy dining option:
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Meat is lean and protein-rich.
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Vegetables provide nutrients and bulk.
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Light dashi broth has minimal calories.
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Cooking method preserves flavors and nutrients.
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Highly customizable to special diets.
As long as you avoid excessive dipping oil and fat-laden sauces, shabu shabu can be a well-balanced meal. The communal nature also often leads to eating slower and with more mindfulness.
Shabu Shabu at Home
Here’s a brief guide to enjoying shabu shabu at home:
Ingredients Needed
- Kombu dashi broth
- Thinly sliced meat and vegetables
- Dipping sauces (ponzu, sesame, chili oil)
- Optional: noodles, eggs, rice
Equipment
- Nabe pot or divided pot
- Portable burner
- Chopsticks
- Ladle and skimmer
- Dipping sauce bowls
Steps
- Prepare dashi broth and ingredients.
- Heat broth at table.
- Cook meat and veggies briefly in broth.
- Dip in sauces and eat.
- At end, add noodles or egg.
With the right ingredients and a few pieces of equipment, savoring shabu shabu at home with family or friends can be fun and delicious!
The Appeal of Shabu Shabu
There are many reasons shabu shabu has become so beloved in Japan and internationally:
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Highlights flavor of quality meats and fresh ingredients
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Interactive, communal dining experience
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Customizable with many dipping sauces
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Can be healthy and well-balanced
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Suitable for cooking at the table in restaurants or at home
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Fun and conversational meal
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Adaptable to different diets or preferences
For a memorable dining experience with a hands-on approach, shabu shabu is hard to beat. The thin slices of meat swishing in broth make a soothing sound that pairs perfectly with enjoyable tableside conversation.
How to Cook Shabu Shabu
To cook shabu shabu at home, youâll first need to chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces and slice the meat thinly. Japanese supermarkets will carry paper-thin sliced beef and pork in the meat section; or if you have access to a full-service butcher, you can request thinly sliced meat from your butcher. Otherwise, you can buy a well-marbled ribeye steak or pork loin and slice it yourself. Just make sure to put the meat in the freezer for a couple of hours until it becomes firm, but not quite frozen, for easier slicing.
Next, prepare a large pot and a portable burner or hot plate for cooking the food tableside.
In Japan, a wide pot called a ânabeâ is used for shabu shabu, but any shallow heavy-bottomed pot will work. Prepare the dashi soup by setting the nabe on the hot plate and adding a piece of kombu kelp to season the broth. Cover and allow to come to a low boil.
Before cooking, youâll need place-settings for everyone at the mealâa bowl of rice, plus two smaller bowls for the dipping sauces, and chopsticks. Youâll also want to have a large pair of cooking chopsticks for transferring uncooked food into the boiling water. Itâs a good idea to have a straining ladle handy for lifting cooked items out of the hot pot, as well as a skimmer for clearing the froth from the surface of the broth while cooking. Set out your sliced vegetables and meat, and when the water comes to a rapid simmer, itâs time to begin cooking!
How to Make Shabu Shabu
The main ingredients for shabu shabu are the cooking broth, chopped vegetables, and meat thatâs sliced paper-thin.
The Broth
To make the broth, a simple dashi stock is prepared by steeping a piece of kombu seaweed in water. The kombu stock heightens the natural umami flavor of the ingredients without masking them. No other seasonings are typically added; however, for an added twist itâs possible to use other types of hot pot broth for shabu shabu, such as kimchi-flavored broth or tonkotsu pork bone soup.
The Meat
The meat used for shabu shabu is usually thinly sliced beef or pork. In Japan, a premium shabu shabu experience can be enjoyed with richly marbled A-5 rank wagyu beef or kurobuta Berkshire pork. Other offerings include thinly sliced chicken or lamb, while more adventurous diners might opt to try game meat like wild boar, bear, or venison or even thinly sliced fugu (pufferfish), the potentially poisonous Japanese delicacy.
The Vegetables
Shabu shabu is the perfect meal for enjoying a wide range of vegetables, and vegan and vegetarian diners can even opt to forgo the meat for a fully vegetable-based meal. Staple shabu shabu greens include napa cabbage, shungiku (daisy flower greens), and Japanese leek. Mushrooms like hearty shiitake and white clusters of enoki may also be used, as well as smaller clusters of buna-shimeji (brown beech) mushrooms. Other ingredients include onions, carrots, and soft tofu, as well as seasonal vegetables like kabocha pumpkin in the autumn, potatoes and lotus root in the winter, and sweet corn in the summer.
Shabu-Shabu Is the Ultimate Japanese Meat Fest | Food Skills
FAQ
What cut of beef is shabu shabu?
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YouTube · JapaneseCooking101https://m.youtube.comShabu Shabu Recipe – Japanese Cooking 101Feb 25, 2015 — you dip thin slices of beef in hot kombu broth. then you eat the hot meat with sesame or ponzu sauce. these are the ingredients. we use dried kombu …
Is shabu shabu beef tender?
It’s definitely very thick but it’s very tender. So I guess it depends on who likes what. I think it’s good to eat it rare with pho soup or make bulgogi.
Is shabu shabu beef healthy?
Protein Powerhouse
Shabu Shabu is a great source of this macronutrient. The meats provide high-quality protein. This protein is easily digestible. It’s also packed with essential amino acids.
What cut of beef is Costco shabu shabu?
Prime Beef Top Round slices for $9.99/lb and Choice Beef Loin New York slices for $11.99/lb. Perfect for your next hot pot night!
What is shabu shabu beef?
Watch this awesome video to spice up your cooking! What is Shabu-Shabu Beef? Shabu-shabu is a Japanese hot pot dish that is typically made with thinly sliced beef, cooked in a simmering pot of broth. The name “shabu-shabu” comes from the sound the ingredients make when swished around in the broth.
What is shabu shabu?
Shabu shabu is a classic Japanese hot pot dish where thin slices of meat and vegetables are briefly swished in a simmering broth until just cooked through. The name comes from the “swish swish” sound the meat makes as you cook it in the pot.
What kind of meat is used in Japanese shabu-shabu?
As mentioned earlier, beef is the primary meat used in Japanese shabu-shabu. High-end shabu-shabu restaurants always offer beef as an option. The standard portion of shabu-shabu meat is said to be 200-300 grams for adult males, 150-200 grams for females, and 100-150 grams for elementary and middle school students and the elderly.
How do you cook beef in shabu shabu?
Cooking the beef in Shabu Shabu is incredibly simple and quick, which is part of its charm. Once your pot of broth is simmering, you can use chopsticks or a slotted spoon to gently swish the thinly sliced beef in the broth.
Is shabu shabu considered a hot pot?
Shabu-shabu is indeed a type of hot pot. Unlike other hot pot styles, where ingredients are cooked together before serving, shabu-shabu ingredients are served raw and cooked tableside during the meal, similar to fondue.
What to eat with shabu beef?
Shabu-shabu beef is often enjoyed with a side of steamed rice or noodles, adding heartiness to the meal. The broth from the hot pot can be used to cook the rice or noodles, infusing them with the flavors of the simmering broth and the beef and vegetables. This combination creates a satisfying and complete dining experience.