Difference Between Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu: Know in brief!

Difference Between Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu Know in brief!

In this blog we are going to tell you about Difference Between Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu, so read this blog carefully to get the complete information.

There are different types of meats that are prepared by different methods. Two such popular types of meat eaten in Japan include Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu. People sometimes get confused with these two types of meat because of their similarities. They are the same as they are very thinly sliced to prepare. In Japanese markets, they are sold separately because besides their thickness being paper-thin cut beef, they are prepared with different ingredients, and the method of preparation is also different. The base ingredients used in both dishes can include rib eye, top sirloin, chuck, or in some cases Kobe beef or strip loin. Continue reading the article to know more about Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu and how they differ from each other. 

What is Sukiyaki?

Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish that is made in nabemono style or the Japanese hot pot style. Different regions of Japan have different ways to prepare this dish. The most important difference is seen in the region of Kansai which is the western region and the Kanto region which is the eastern region. It is kept cooked and simmering at the table side. It is served along with vegetables and other ingredients such as tofu, sauce, and cellophane noodles. It is a one-dish meal that is cooked in shallow pots of iron with soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar. It is usually dipped in beaten raw eggs before eating. In Osaka, the preparation includes the slice of meat being first grilled in tallow in a pan, and after that ingredients are put over the meat. Then a liquid is poured over everything and simmered in a pot. It is generally a winter dish that is eaten at year-end parties in Japan called bonenkai. 

What is Shabu-shabu? 

Shabu-shabu is also a Japanese dish but it is not prepared in hot pot style. It is prepared in a variant of it and thus is more savory than sweet in comparison to Sukiyaki. It also utilizes very thinly sliced beef. It is like a fondue dish with vegetables like carrots, mushrooms, onions, nori, etc. It is served with a dipping sauce along with other ingredients such as udon, mochi, harusame noodles, etc. It is eaten all year round and not only in winters. Its preparation includes rib-eye steak or top sirloin etc. During the preparation, the meat and vegetables are mixed in a broth made with kelp called kombu and are swished in it repeatedly. People consider that the repeated swishing is responsible for its name called Shabu-shabu which means swish-swish. The meat and vegetables are dipped in Goma or sesame seed sauce before eating. It is usually served with a bowl of rice so that after eating meat and vegetables the remaining broth can be mixed and eaten with rice. 

Major Differences Between Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu

The following are the major differences between Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu as mentioned below: 

  • Even though both Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu are two Japanese dishes that are made from thinly sliced cut meat, they utilize different methods of preparation. 
  • Sukiyaki is a winter dish that is mostly eaten at year-end parties whereas Shabu-shabu is an all-year-round dish that can be eaten anytime. 
  • Sukiyaki is a hot pot style dish whereas Shabu-shabu is not a hot pot style dish but a variant of it. 
  • In terms of taste, Sukiyaki is sweeter while Shabu-shabu is savory. 
  • Sukiyaki is a one-dish meal cooked at the table side whereas Shabu-shabu is mostly served with white rice. 
  • Sukiyaki is dipped in beaten raw eggs before eating while Shabu-shabu is dipped in Goma or sesame seed sauce before eating. 

Conclusion

Both Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu are popular Japanese dishes that are made with the same base ingredient but in different styles. The meat used in the preparation of Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu is thinly sliced and it can be either rib eye, sirloin, Kobe beef, or strip loin. Sukiyaki is a hot pot-style dish that is cooked and simmered at the table side. On the other hand, Shabu-shabu is a variant of a hot pot style dish that is swished repeatedly. The best thing about Shabu-shabu is that you can eat it any time of the year while you have to wait for winter to eat Sukiyaki. We hope that this article was helpful and you have got the differences between these two dishes.

We Hope this blog is sufficient enough to provide the information about Difference Between Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu. Thanks for reading this blog.

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