Shabu-shabu

Shabu-shabu(Japanese:しゃぶしゃぶ,romanized:shabushabu) is a Japanesenabemonohotpotdish of thinly sliced meat and vegetables boiled in water and served with dipping sauces.The term isonomatopoeic, derived from the sound – "swish swish" – emitted when the ingredients are stirred in the cooking pot.The food is cooked piece by piece by the diner at the table.Shabu-shabuis generally moresavoryand lesssweetthansukiyaki, another hot pot dish.
Shabu-shabuwas invented in Japan in the 20th century with the opening of the restaurant Suehiro inOsaka, where the name was also invented.The president of the restaurant, Chūichi Miyake, registered the name as a trademark in 1952.Shabu-shabubecame more and more popular in the Kansai region and in 1955 it was also added to the menu of restaurants in Tokyo and then spread throughout Japan.
There are two common theories about the origin ofshabu-shabu. The first is that it comes from theInner Mongolianhot potknown asinstant-boiled mutton(shuàn yángròu), which was introduced to Japan afterWorld War IIby Japanese who had lived inBeijing.Both dishes are prepared by briefly swirling thin slices of meat in boiling broth, then eaten with sauce.
The other theory is thatshabu-shabuoriginates from Japanesemizutakihot pot, which is a popular type ofnabemono.Mizutakihas various ingredients and versions but is always based on dashi or water without additional flavourings.
Compared with other Japanese hot-pot dishes such assukiyaki,shabu-shabuis infrequently cooked at home in Japan. However,sukiyakiandshabu-shabuare both popular in many parts of Japan, and also inJapantownsin countries such as the United States and Canada. It is also popular inTaiwanandSouth Korea.
The dish is usually made with thinly sliced beef, but some versions use pork, crab, chicken, lamb, duck, orlobster. Most often,ribeyesteak is used, but less tender cuts, such astop sirloin, are also common. A more expensive breed of cattle, such asWagyu, may also be used. It is usually served withtofuand vegetables, includingChinese cabbage,chrysanthemum leaves,nori(edible seaweed), onions, carrots, andshiitakeandenokitakemushrooms.  In some places,udon,mochi, orharusamenoodles may also be served.
The dish is prepared by submerging a thin slice of meat or a piece of vegetable in a pot of boiling water ordashi(broth) made withkonbu(kelp) and stirring it. Normally, the raw meat is dipped into the hot stock for just a few seconds, as the pieces are sliced paper thin so they will cook quickly. Putting all meat into the pot at one time may result in overcooking the meat. Cooked meat and vegetables are usually dipped inponzuorgoma(sesame seed) sauce before eating, and served with a bowl of steamedwhite rice.
Once the meat/fish and vegetables have been eaten, the soup stock will remain in the pot. The leftover broth from the pot can  be customarily combined with rice, ramen or udon and the resulting dish is usually eaten last and calledshimein Japan.
The variation with rice is also calledzosui. When the cooked meat is served cold, it is calledrei-shabu, which is often sold in convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan.
A variety of sauces can be used to dip the meat and vegetables, includingponzusauce and sesame sauce. Restaurants usually providesoy sauce, sesame paste,ponzuand several other condiment options, such asspring onionsand Japanese pickled carrots, so customers can make the sauce according to their own preferences.
Beef, pork or chicken is usually used forshabu-shabu, but variations using fish are also available. Some fish used areyellowtail(buri),greater amberjack(kanpachi), orred seabream(tai). Octopus and crab are also used.For vegetables, lettuce or sliceddaikonradish can be used instead of Chinese cabbage.
Regional ingredients include: