History of shabu?
* The dish may have originated in the 13th century as a way for
Genghis Khan to efficiently feed his soldiers[1]. Mongol troops
would have gathered around large pots and cooked together. *
Shabu-shabu was introduced in Japan in the 20th century with the
opening of a Shabu-shabu restaurant "Suehiro"[2] in Osaka. The name
of Shabu-shabu was named when Suehiro served it. After that,
Suehiro registered the name of shabu-shabu as a trademark in 1955.
The cuisine rapidly spread through Asia and is now a popular dish
in Western countries as well. Together with sukiyaki, shabu-shabu
is a common dish in tourist hot-spots, especially in Tokyo, but
also in local Japanese neighborhoods (colloquially called "Little
Tokyos") in countries such as the United States. * Shabu Shabu
House in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California, USA was the first
Shabu Shabu specialized restaurant in North America in the early
1990s. Since then Shabu Shabu has spread out over the rest of the
state.