Gather ‘Round the Hot Pot: Discovering Sukiyaki in Japan

If you’re looking for the perfect winter dish for a get-together of family or friends, sukiyaki is the ideal homemade recipe. The famous Japanese hot pot will grace any communal occasion with its comforting warmth and savory-sweet flavors.

This post will reveal everything you need to know about sukiyaki, including its history, key ingredients, and dining etiquette. It also contains a simple hot pot recipe anyone can make. Enjoy!

What Is Sukiyaki? A Classic Japanese Beef Dish

Sukiyaki is a popular Japanese hot pot dish, typically featuring thinly sliced beef cooked with vegetables in a savory-sweet sauce. This quintessential Japanese meal is one of many variations of nabemono, a type of hot pot popularly known as the “one-pot dish.” Like most nabemono dishes, sukiyaki features a mix of meats, vegetables, and seasonings all cooked in a pot of simmering broth.

Instead of beef, sukiyaki may contain pork or chicken. Whichever thinly sliced meat is used is typically accompanied by other ingredients, such as tofu, cabbage, carrots, noodles, mushrooms, soy sauce, and sake. All of the ingredients are cooked in a sweet, savory, and umami-rich broth. The cooked ingredients are usually served in individual bowls filled with a dipping sauce made of raw eggs.

In Japan, sukiyaki is considered a winter dish enjoyed during social gatherings of family, friends, and even co-workers. The ingredients are cooked in a cast-iron pot placed on a table. Sukiyaki is also served on the spot while the pot is still simmering, as is the case with most nabemono-style meals. 

A Brief History of Sukiyaki in Japan

Compared to other popular Japanese dishes, sukiyaki is relatively new to the culinary scene. It first appeared at the end of the Edo period (1603-1868) and was popularized by a restaurant in Kyoto specializing in beef-based hot pot. This seemingly simple and harmless dish caused a great deal of controversy at the time.

Due to the introduction of Buddhism in Japan about 12 centuries earlier, people were prohibited from eating meat. particularly four-footed animals like cattle and horses. However, some of the poorest people in the country continued to eat beef, pork, and deer meat in secret. So, when the beef pot restaurant was established, not everyone approved of it. Some went as far as closing their eyes and covering their noses when they passed by the restaurant.

Thankfully, sukiyaki gained popularity during the Meiji era (1868-1912) as Japan opened up to Western influences. The leaders decided to encourage the inclusion of meat in the common diet, which was a favorable decision for the beef pot dish. It was known as “sukiyaki” in the Kansai region and “gyu-nabe” in the Kanto region. Both dishes were identical, albeit with slightly different recipes.

In 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake led to the destruction of many gyu-nabe restaurants. It didn’t take long before sukiyaki eateries from the Kansai region began operating in Kanto, leading to the integration of both sukiyaki and gyu-nabe recipes. This resulted in the creation of modern sukiyaki in the Kanto region. Today it has evolved into a cultural staple enjoyed throughout the country.

When Is Sukiyaki Eaten? Seasonal Traditions and Occasions

Sukiyaki is often enjoyed in winter. During the colder months, it provides a comforting, communal dining experience. In Japan, winter starts in December and ends in February. However, sukiyaki remains popular year-round for gatherings and celebrations. Japanese people eat a variety of hot pot dishes during winter occasions, but sukiyaki is a nationwide favorite. You’ll find it at many end-of-year parties known as bōnenkai. These parties are filled with co-workers or friends who gather around the pot to enjoy the dish together. You can also find sukiyaki in restaurants all over the country.

Key Ingredients: Beef and Beyond

It’s time to explore the star components of modern sukiyaki. You can find the following ingredients in most sukiyaki dishes:

1. Thinly sliced fatty beef: Authentic sukiyaki is made with high-quality beef. The soft and fatty Japanese marbled beef known as Wagyu beef is arguably the most luxurious meat used as sukiyaki beef. The meat is sliced into thin pieces. 

2. Pork: Certain Japanese regions, such as Niigata and Hokkaido, prefer to make sukiyaki with pork instead of beef. 

3. Tofu: The tofu used in sukiyaki may be grilled, but that is not always the case. Sometimes, cooks use regular tofu. Vegan sukiyaki often contains a lot more tofu than regular sukiyaki.

4. Noodles: Shirataki noodles (or yam noodles) are commonly used as part of the main ingredients alongside vegetables. Udon noodles are used as a final course in the meal.

5. Leafy vegetables: Sukiyaki should contain several leafy vegetables, including negi (Japanese long onion), napa cabbage, and chrysanthemum greens.

6. Asian vegetables: The dish may include other vegetables used in Asian cuisine, such as bok choy, eggplant, and carrot.

7. Fresh mushrooms: Shiitake mushroom is the most common type used in sukiyaki. Other types include enoki, maitake, and shimeji. King oyster mushrooms can serve as an alternative to meat in vegan or vegetarian recipes.

Sukiyaki Broth Basics

Let’s not forget the savory-sweet sauce that graces sukiyaki broth. All other ingredients will be cooked in this sauce; hence, it’s responsible for most of sukiyaki’s signature flavor. Sukiyaki sauce, also known as warishita in the Kanto region, is the most distinctive component of sukiyaki from the area. You can make warishita by boiling sake and mirin in a saucepan, allowing the mixture to cool, and introducing soy sauce and sugar. The sauce is ready when the sugar has completely dissolved in the liquid. Dashi (Japanese soup stock) may be used to dilute the sauce, depending on individual tastes.

Cooking Techniques: Kansai vs. Kanto Styles

Due to the differences in recipes between Japan’s two main regions, there is a Kansai style and a Kanto style for cooking sukiyaki.

Kansai-Style Sukiyaki

In the Kansai style, which is practiced in Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto, the meat is cooked first before adding other ingredients. Most times, the ingredients are introduced in the following order: sugar, soy sauce, sake, vegetables, and then other seasonings or toppings.

Kanto-Style Sukiyaki

Kanto-style sukiyaki is the only one out of the two types that uses warishita (sukiyaki sauce). After heating the sauce, all of the other ingredients, including meat and vegetables, are cooked together. Although Kanto-style sukiyaki does not taste as flavorful as the Kansai version, it’s much easier to prepare.

Step-by-Step Sukiyaki Recipe

Follow our step-by-step instructions on making beef sukiyaki at home. You’ll start by cooking sukiyaki sauce before preparing the ingredients, cooking the beef, adding other ingredients, and serving the dish in dipping sauce.

1. Add soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake in a pot, using the ratio 1:1:4:8, respectively. Apply medium heat and allow the mixture to boil until the sugar dissolves completely.

2. Cut, slice, and scrap the other ingredients, such as beef, napa cabbage, green onions, and mushrooms, according to your preferences. We recommend that you cook shirataki noodles in boiling water for about 3 minutes and then drain them. You can do the same for udon noodles.

3. Heat vegetable oil in a pot (preferably a sukiyaki pot made of cast iron) and then pour in enough sukiyaki sauce to cover the bottom.

4. Place some thinly sliced beef in the simmering sauce and allow the bottom to cook before flipping it over and cooking the other side.

5. Add vegetables, shirataki noodles, and other ingredients, then pour in enough sukiyaki sauce to submerge them.

6. Cover the pot and wait until its content starts to boil. Next, bring the heat down to a simmer for 6–8 minutes. Remove the cover and add more beef if you need to.

7. Transfer the cooked ingredients to individual bowls filled with raw eggs.

8. When nearly all of the ingredients have been removed, you can cook udon noodles in the leftover broth and enjoy it as a finishing course.

Tips for the Perfect Sukiyaki Experience

The first step to getting an unforgettable sukiyaki experience is selecting high-quality beef. We recommend Wagyu beef, although it is quite expensive, especially outside of Japan. This marbled beef is tender enough to melt in your mouth, making it the ideal option for a Japanese beef hot pot dish. You can find them in Japanese grocery stores.

The equipment you use also matters. We recommend that you use a cast iron pot and a portable electric stove or gas burner. The best pots for sukiyaki are shallow but wide. Other decent options are frying pans or sauté pans. Feel free to add a traditional touch to the meal by pairing sukiyaki with raw egg dipping sauce. There are other ways to enjoy the meal, but none is as authentic as dipping meat and vegetables in beaten raw eggs.

Finally, you should adjust the saltiness of sukiyaki by diluting it with water or soup stock. Since sukiyaki sauce can last for about a month in an airtight container placed in a refrigerator, you can make it in excess and adjust sukiyaki seasoning by adding more sauce to the pot when needed. 

Sukiyaki Etiquette and Dining Culture

Sukiyaki is typically served in a communal pot on a stove placed on a table, allowing friends and family to cook ingredients together and socialize. If you put meat in, pay attention to its readiness and avoid burning the food. Use the chopsticks reserved for moving food to individual bowls and avoid placing used cutlery in the general pot or bowl.

Why Sukiyaki Remains a Beloved Japanese Food

Sukiyaki’s enduring appeal as a comforting, warm meal with an interactive cooking style makes it an ideal choice for social dining in the winter season. It holds a special place in the hearts of food lovers, thanks to its sweet-savory taste and diverse ingredients. Few dishes can bring people together around one delicious pot more than Japanese sukiyaki.

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