Shabu-shabu, also known as "mutton hot pot", originated in the Yuan Dynasty and flourished in the Qing Dynasty.

Historical records show that shabu-shabu first began in the northeast of China and in the ethnic minority regions of Mongolia, where it was originally called "shabu-shabu". One of the origins of shabu-shabu is said to be related to the Yuan ancestor Kublai.

According to legend, when Yuan Shizuizu Kublai went on an expedition to the south, he ate boiled mutton when he was tired and felt the flavor was extremely delicious. After the war, Kublai asked the chef to make it again, and the chef sliced the mutton into thin slices with a variety of spices, and after shabu-shabu it was so tender and delicious that Kublai gave it the name "shabu-shabu".

Another theory is that Genghis Khan suddenly missed his hometown's hand-meat when he traveled south, so he asked the military cook to cook it, but the enemy suddenly arrived, and the cook cut the lamb into thin slices and put it into boiling water for shabu-shabu, which Genghis Khan ate in haste to meet the war.

After returning to the camp after the victory, Genghis Khan asked the cook to do it again, and the generals ate it and everyone was so impressed that Genghis Khan named it "Shabu Shabu".