Shabu shabu is a Japanese dish that involves cooking thin slices of beef and vegetables in a communal pot of simmering water and dipping them in various sauces. It originated from the Mongolian tradition of “one-pot” cooking and was developed by Genghis Khan to conserve fuel during military campaigns. The dish can also be made with pork, duck, lobster, crab, or chicken and is similar to sukiyaki. In the movie Lost in Translation, the characters dine at a traditional Japanese shabu shabu restaurant.
Shabu shabu, alternatively syabu syabu, is a Japanese culinary dish that comes from the Mongolian tradition of nabemono, or “one-pot” cooking. In serving this dish, thin slices of beef are placed in a communal pot of simmering water and passed back and forth until cooked through. Vegetables such as mushrooms, cabbage, watercress and spring chrysanthemums are also briefly boiled and dipped in various sauces. Shabu shabu is similar to another nabemone dish called sukiyaki, but the sauces used are not as sweet.
Shabu shabu roughly translates to “swish swish,” referring to the sound made as sliced meat passes through water. Although beef was the first meat to be used in this dish, modern Japanese restaurants may also offer sliced pork, duck, lobster, crab, or chicken. The water can be flavored with some type of seaweed, which is removed just before the start of the service. Many shabu shabu restaurants use a round fondue-like pot in the center of the table to allow multiple diners the opportunity to prepare their own food.
Legendary Mongol leader Genghis Khan is believed to have developed a rudimentary form of shabu shabu in order to conserve fuel during military campaigns. Soldiers would gather around large containers of boiling water to cook their rations of beef or other game meat. This common cuisine idea would eventually come to Japan through Chinese and Mongolian immigrants.
In the movie Lost in Translation, actors Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannson can be seen dining at a traditional Japanese shabu shabu restaurant. A small circular pan of simmering water sits in the center of the table. Both characters point out the similarity of the menu items, which all look like identical plates of sliced meat. This is something all diners should realize when ordering. Most of the time your choices are limited to portion sizes or type of meat. The rest of the meal usually consists of a standard platter of steamed vegetables and rice. Occasionally a soup is made from the cooking water and served last.
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