Shabu History 101

Shabu-shabu is a popular hot pot dish from Japan consisting of thinly sliced meat and bite-sized vegetables cooked in steaming hot broth. Hot pot dining has been popular in Japan for thousands of years, since the first use of earthenware pottery, but shabu shabu itself first originated around the mid-20th century. The main difference between shabu shabu and other types of Japanese hot pot is that rather than simmering all of the ingredients together before serving, shabu shabu is cooked bite-by-bite throughout the meal, similar to fondue.

The dish gets its name from the Japanese onomatopoeia “shabu-shabu,” meaning “swish swish,” which describes the light swishing of the meat in the simmering broth. When the meat is dipped in the boiling water, the extra fat melts away, making it lighter than regular cooked meat and a rather healthy meat dish.