Sizzling Sabu Sabu: The Hot Pot Experience

Shabu Shabu is a Japanese-style hot pot, a fun and interactive meal to enjoy with family and friends. It typically consists of a glorious array of meats, seafood, and vegetables beautifully arranged on platters, served with speedy sauces, and cooked in a simple broth that simmers at the table. The cooking is done at the table, making it a truly communal dining experience. While the ingredients may seem daunting at first, most of the preparation involves simply prepping the ingredients, and Shabu Shabu can be easily made at home without any special equipment.

Shabu Shabu is a Japanese hot pot

Shabu-shabu is a Japanese hot pot dish that originated in the 20th century with the opening of the Suehiro restaurant in Osaka, Japan. The name was also invented by the president of the restaurant, Chūichi Miyake, who registered it as a trademark in 1952. Shabu-shabu is generally more savoury than sweet and is often enjoyed as a shared meal with friends or family.

The dish typically consists of thinly sliced meat, such as beef, pork, chicken, or lamb, and vegetables like onions, Chinese cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms, which are cooked in a simmering soup or broth. The term "shabu-shabu" is onomatopoeic, derived from the sound "swish swish" made when stirring the ingredients in the pot. This is also the action performed when cooking the meat by swishing it around in the broth.

The flavour of the dish comes from the dipping sauces used, such as ponzu (a soy-citrus sauce) or goma (sesame seed sauce). The cooked meat and vegetables are dipped in these sauces and are usually served with a bowl of steamed white rice. The leftover broth from the pot is often combined with rice, ramen, or udon, resulting in a dish called "shime" in Japan.

Shabu-shabu is a popular dish in Japan, with many restaurants offering it as an all-you-can-eat option. It is also enjoyed in other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Taiwan, and South Korea.

It's a fun, interactive meal for friends and family

Shabu-shabu is a fun, interactive meal to enjoy with friends and family. It is a type of hotpot, a Japanese meal where a variety of raw ingredients such as thinly sliced meat, seafood, tofu, and vegetables are cooked in a simmering broth at the dining table. Shabu-shabu is a great way to bring people together and create a communal dining experience.

Preparing shabu-shabu can seem daunting due to the long ingredient list and lengthy directions, but most of the work involves simply prepping the ingredients, and all the cooking is done at the table. The star of the show is the glorious array of meats and veggies beautifully arranged on platters, accompanied by some speedy sauces. The simple broth simmers away in a pot on a portable burner in the centre of the table, ready to cook all the ingredients.

Shabu-shabu is traditionally served with at least two sauces: a sesame sauce and ponzu. The sesame sauce can be made ahead of time and adds a delectable toasty richness to the dish. Toasting the sesame seeds is key to achieving amazing flavour and nuttiness. The ponzu can be homemade or store-bought, and it is often served with some condiments so each person can season the sauce to their liking. Some suggested condiments include daikon radish, scallions, and shichimi powder.

In addition to the sauces and garnishes, the beef is a key component of shabu-shabu. Thinly shaved rib beef is the traditional choice, and it is often available pre-shaved at Asian markets or grocery stores. If you are slicing the beef yourself, freeze it for an hour or two beforehand to make it firm enough to cut into thin slices.

To cook shabu-shabu, fill a pot two-thirds of the way with water and add kombu seaweed. Bring all the ingredients to the table, including the sauces, garnishes, meat, and veggies. Each person should have two small bowls for the sauces and a small plate. You will also need ladles to help scoop out the ingredients from the pot. Bring the water to a simmer, then add the veggies and crank up the heat. While waiting, everyone can prepare their sauces and designate someone as the cook. Once the vegetables are ready, add some meat to the pot and enjoy! Remember to skim off the foam that floats up during cooking to keep the broth clear.

Shabu-shabu is a perfect meal for chilly evenings, bringing friends and family together for a fun and engaging dining experience. It is a delightful way to connect with loved ones and create lasting memories.

It's cooked on a portable burner in the middle of the table

Shabu-shabu is a style of nabemono, or Japanese hot pot, that involves cooking paper-thin slices of meat and fresh vegetables in a large pot of broth at the dining table. The key to this dining experience is the use of a portable burner or hot plate placed in the centre of the table, providing a heat source for the pot. This setup allows for a fun and interactive communal dining experience, where everyone participates in the cooking process.

The cooking equipment for shabu-shabu typically includes a large Japanese pot called a "nabe", placed on top of the portable burner. The burner's heat source can be a gas canister or, in the case of specialty restaurants, induction heating (IH) cooktops built into the tables.

Before cooking, the pot is filled with broth, traditionally a simple dashi made from kombu seaweed. However, modern variations include flavoured broths like kimchi, tomato dashi, or soy collagen. A unique feature of shabu-shabu is that the ingredients are served raw and cooked tableside during the meal, similar to fondue.

The cooking process starts by bringing the broth to a boil and then reducing it to a simmer. Vegetables are added first to flavour the broth, followed by the thinly sliced meat, which is swished lightly through the broth for a few seconds. The cooked meat and vegetables are then removed from the pot and dipped into various sauces, such as ponzu (a citrusy soy sauce) or goma-tare (a sesame sauce).

Throughout the meal, it is important to skim off any foam or scum that forms on the surface of the broth to keep it clean and clear. Additionally, using separate sets of chopsticks for cooking and serving is considered polite, as touching communal food with personal chopsticks is generally frowned upon outside of informal family meals.

Shabu-shabu is a highly customisable dining experience, allowing diners to choose their preferred ingredients and sauces to suit their tastes. It is a fun and social way to enjoy a delicious and hearty meal with family and friends.

There are many types of sauces and garnishes to accompany the meal

Shabu shabu is a type of Japanese hot pot dish that involves cooking thinly sliced meat and vegetables in a simple broth and then dipping them in a variety of sauces. The two basic types of dipping sauces are creamy sesame sauce and zesty ponzu sauce, which is citrus-based. However, there are many different sauces and condiments that can be used to enhance the flavour of your shabu-shabu dipping sauces.

Sesame Sauce

The key to this simple sauce is having well-toasted sesame seeds, which will give you amazing flavour and nuttiness. Even if you buy toasted sesame seeds, you should re-toast them in a frying pan. You will notice a huge difference when you do. Use a dry skillet over medium heat and toss the pan regularly to get an even golden colour. Don't walk away or you might end up with burnt seeds.

Ponzu Sauce

Ponzu is a mixture of citrus juices such as lemon, lime, daidai, yuzu, sudachi, kabosu, etc., to which vinegar is added for flavour and preservation. When used for shabu-shabu, "ponzu" usually refers to "ponzu soy sauce," a mixture of ponzu and soy sauce. You can buy store-bought, but making your own ponzu sauce is easy and recommended.

Additional Ingredients and Condiments

• Chopped garlic chives: for sesame sauce
• Garlic paste: for sesame sauce
• Chili oil: for sesame sauce
• Momiji oroshi (grated daikon with chilli): for ponzu
• Chopped green onion: for ponzu

Gluten-Free Options

For those with gluten intolerance, gluten-free options are available at some restaurants. For example, one restaurant in Nashville offers a gluten-free hot pot broth and tamari (GF soy sauce) for adding to the pot.

It's a popular dish in Korea

Shabu-shabu is a popular dish in Korea, where it is considered a "happy holiday recipe". It is a type of hot pot where people cook their food in a pot of hot broth at the dining table. The dish is popular because of its simplicity, social aspect, and the ability to fill you up without leaving you feeling too full.

The key ingredient in shabu-shabu is paper-thin slices of raw meat, usually beef, but also sometimes pork, chicken, or lamb. In addition, a variety of raw vegetables are used, such as napa cabbage, bok choy, mushrooms, and scallops. These ingredients are cooked by each person at the table in a pot of hot broth. The broth is typically made with anchovy kelp stock or vegetable stock, and seasoned with salt.

Shabu-shabu is often served with noodles or rice. The noodles are cooked in the broth at the end of the meal, along with soy or salt to taste. The rice is usually soaked in water for 30 minutes before being added to the broth.

The social aspect of shabu-shabu is an important part of its popularity. People sit around a large table, cooking and eating together. It is a colourful and pretty dish, with a variety of ingredients artfully arranged on the table. The cooking and eating are done simultaneously, creating a fun and interactive dining experience.

Shabu-shabu is also popular because it is easy to prepare and cook. The ingredients are simple and can be purchased pre-cut or pre-shaved, making the preparation quick and convenient. The cooking process is straightforward, as the ingredients are simply added to the boiling broth and cooked for a short time. This simplicity allows people to focus on the social aspect of the meal, enjoying the company of family and friends while cooking and eating together.

Frequently asked questions