Japanese Food - Shabu shabu

Shabu shabu is one of the most popular hot-pot dishes mainly eaten in winter.

In shabu shabu, you quickly swish thinly-sliced meat in boiling broth and then eat it with a dipping sauce.

The extra fat in the meat melts away in the broth, which makes it lighter than regular cooked meat.

Generally, meat such as beef and pork are used in shabu shabu. Seafood such as yellowtail, sea bream, and crab are also popular as a main ingredient.

Various vegetables can be added as well.

Leaf vegetables like Chinese cabbage and crown daisy (garland chrysanthemum), root vegetables like daikon radish and carrot, mushrooms like enoki and shimeji are often used.

The most popular dipping sauces for shabu shabu are a citrus-flavored soy sauce known as ponzu, and sesame sauce. Negi leeks, sesame seeds, grated daikon radish and red chili peppers are usually served with these sauces.

You can finish off the meal with udon noodles or rice together with the broth. It is truly delicious because the umami flavor from the meat or seafood and vegetables melts out into the broth.

It is sometimes a little chilly in March in Japan. On those days, healthy and nutritionally balanced shabu shabu can warm you up.