Shabu-shabu is described as follows:

Shabu-shabu is also known as "mutton hot pot". According to the Book of Wei, during the Three Kingdoms era, when Cao Pi was the emperor of Han, there were hot pots made of copper, which were used to cook various kinds of meat such as pigs, cows, sheep, chickens and fish, but they were not popular at that time, and later, with the further development of cooking technology, various kinds of hot pots were also introduced.

To the Northern Song Dynasty, Bianjing (now Kaifeng) taverns, winter hot pot should be marketed. By the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, there were several different kinds of hot pots across the country, each with its own specialties. Shabu-shabu is made from fine, tender, even-thin slices of lamb, seasoned with a variety of flavors, and served after shabu-shabu with a mellow aroma and no nastiness. The flavor is pure, tender and delicious.

The food culture of shabu-shabu

Shabu-shabu is said to have been popularized by Kublai, the founding emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. China's hot pot has a long and distinguished history. Small ceramic stoves used in conjunction with earthenware kettles more than 5,000 years ago have been unearthed in Zhejiang and other places, which can be easily moved and can be considered a primary form of hot pot. Bronze hot pots from the Spring and Autumn period unearthed at the Longqingxia Shanrong cultural site in Beijing's Yanqing County show traces of having been heated.

In the Five Dynasties, there was a five-compartment hotpot, which was divided into five compartments for guests to enjoy. At that time, hot pots, also known as warming pots, were made of copper or pottery, and their main function was to cook meat for consumption. During the Qing Dynasty, various kinds of shabu-shabu hot pots became the winter delicacies of the court. When Emperor Jiaqing ascended to the throne, in the grand palace banquet, in addition to the delicacies of the sea, land and water, specially used 1,650 hot pots to entertain the guests, which became the grandest hot pot banquet in the history of China.