Sukiyaki - Deep Comfort, Savory & Japanese! – FutureDish (2024)

FAQs

What are the 2 types of sukiyaki? ›

There are two main styles of sukiyaki preparation, the Kanto (Tokyo) style of eastern Japan, and the Kansai (Osaka) style of western Japan. Kanto style sukiyaki is done by heating sukiyaki sauce (warish*ta) in a pot before adding all the ingredients to simmer together. Kansai style sukiyaki is eaten in stages.

Sukiyaki has a more complex, sweeter flavor due to the sweet soy-based broth, while in shabu shabu the natural taste of the beef and vegetables shine with the more delicate broth. This becomes particularly noticeable as the broth gets seasoned over the course of the meal from the beef and vegetables being dipped in it.

The name “sukiyaki” refers to the time when fish and tofu were grilled outdoors by hungry farmers in the Edo Period, using a ploughshare instead of an iron plate. There are other opinions on the origin of the name, too. One is that the word “sukiyaki” comes from the word “sukimi,” which means thinly sliced meat.

Sukiyaki sauce has a sweet and salty flavor similar to Teriyaki sauce. While they share many of the same ingredients, the main difference is consistency.

Sukiyaki: Utilizes a rich, sweet broth, commonly made with dashi, white soy sauce, sugar, and mirin, giving it a robust flavor. Shabu-Shabu: Features a clear, savory broth often made from ready-made kombu or broths from pork or chicken bones.

Some higher quality beef comes from cows that are fed beer and frequently massaged to fatten them up just right. Such stock is treated as a high-end brand in Japan. High-class restaurants that specialize in sukiyaki or shabu-shabu are generally very expensive due to the high quality of meat used.

The literal meaning of Sukiyaki is “hot pot on a shovel”. The story goes like this: long long time ago, while the Japanese Emperor is hunting and he became hungry, they then found a peasant place and ask them to cook the game they got, the peasant then cooked the game on a shovel because they don't have a proper pot.

It's very simple to make with just 4 ingredients: soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar. Some recipes already include kombu dashi in the sauce while others don't. I prefer to keep them separate so that the sukiyaki sauce lasts longer in the refrigerator (water/dashi in the sauce will not keep long).

Cultural significance. The song spent three weeks at the top of the American Billboard charts in June 1963. It has been described as a metaphor for the emerging post-World War II global expansion of Japan onto the world scene.

Thinly Sliced Beef Chuck/Ribeye for Sukiyaki

This cut of beef is slightly thicker than one for Shabu Shabu and is used for Sukiyaki and other beef recipes.

What is the difference between sukiyaki and gyudon? ›

Sukiyaki vs Gyudon

Gyudon is a rice bowl made by briefly simmer beef and onion in a mirin and soy based sauce. Sukiyaki is a dish, similar to shabu-shabu and hot pot, made by simmering thinly sliced meat with an assortment of vegetables in a mirin and soy based sauce, traditionally served in a shallow cast iron pot.

To make Kanto-style sukiyaki, fill a pot with warish*ta made from ingredients like mirin (a kind of sweet cooking wine), soy sauce, sake (Japanese alcohol), and sugar, and bring it to a boil.

A single serving of sukiyaki contains a staggering 880 calories, and is packed full of carbs and sodium. Most of the bad stuff comes from the sugar-loaded broth, so if you eat it sparingly and vacuum seal the leftovers to use as a super-high-energy survival drink, you're golden.

To eat sukiyaki with a raw egg, simply crack the egg into a small bowl or dish. After the sukiyaki ingredients are cooked, take a piece of the beef or vegetable and dip it into the raw egg before eating. The heat from the cooked ingredients will partially cook the egg, creating a delicious and creamy sauce.

Compared to Kansai-style sukiyaki, where the meat is enjoyed separately from the vegetables, Kanto-style sukiyaki spreads the umami flavors of the meat and vegetables evenly throughout the dish. So, be sure to try both Kanto and Kansai sukiyaki and see which you prefer!

There is another dish similar to nabe called shabu-shabu. However, the star of shabu-shabu is the meat. It is very thinly sliced and placed in the boiling broth for a short time until cooked and then can be dipped in various sauces before eating. With nabe, everything is cooked together in one pot at the same time.

Sukiyaki: thinly sliced beef, tofu, vegetables and starch noodles stewed in sweetened shouyu and eaten with a raw egg dip. Yosenabe: Yose (寄) means "putting together", implying that all things (e.g., meat, seafood, egg, tofu and vegetables) are cooked together in a pot.

In the world of gastronomy, few delights can rival the rich, luxurious experience of savoring Japanese Wagyu and Kobe beef. Revered for their unparalleled quality, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and sumptuous flavor profiles, these two types of beef have carved a niche for themselves on the global culinary stage.