The origin of shabu-shabu varies, but there are three main types of shabu-shabu:

1. Yuan Dynasty: It is rumored that Kublai was on an expedition to the south of China, and because he missed the stewed lamb from his hometown, the chef had the idea of slicing it thinly so that it could be cooked quickly, and Kublai grabbed a couple of bowls of it, which led him to win a big victory, which was later named shabu-shabu at a celebration banquet. The dish was named shabu-shabu, and became a famous dish.

2. Qing Dynasty: Many people believe that hot pot and shabu-shabu may have appeared during the same period. During the Kangxi and Qianlong periods, the palace popularized the "Thousand Old Men's Banquet," which featured a famous Hui dish called "mutton hot pot.

3. Song Dynasty: It is said that in the archaeological record, people found in Inner Mongolia unearthed on the Liao mural, depicting the scene of eating hot pot, three Qidan people sitting around the chopstick-like tools into the pot, next to the bucket of mutton.