Sukiyaki (Beef hot pot) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

Tokyo Prefecture

Sukiyaki (Beef hot pot)

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Image source: Imahan, Ningyoucho

Main lore areas

All of Tokyo Prefecture
Main ingredients used

Beef, green onions, chrysanthemum greens, shirataki (=konjac noodles), Napa cabbage, grilled tofu, soy sauce, sugar, and sake

History/origin/related events

"Sukiyaki" is a dish where thinly sliced beef, along with ingredients like green onions, chrysanthemum greens, and grilled tofu, is cooked together in a broth made from a base of soy sauce, sugar, and sake. In traditional Tokyo establishments, the cooking method has evolved to involve heating a pot, melting beef fat in it, then sautéing the beef before adding the remaining ingredients and seasonings for simmering. This method, similar to the one used in Kansai (western Japan), became the mainstream after the Great Kanto Earthquake.
In the mid-Edo period, there existed a dish in Kansai called "uosuki" or "okisuki," where plows were used as grills to cook shellfish and fish. The term "sukiyaki" is believed to have originated from grilling beef with these plows and calling it "suki-yaki." However, this is a Kansai-specific story.
Since the imperial decree prohibiting meat consumption by Emperor Tenmu in 675 AD, cattle and horses were considered valuable labor assets, and their consumption was not publicly allowed until the Meiji Restoration. It was only after the opening of Yokohama in 1859, alongside the establishment of the British embassy in Edo's Takanawa in 1860, that orders for beef were received. However, it took an entire day to source beef in Yokohama. Thus, when a cattle processing facility was established in Shiba Shirokane, meat-eating culture spread, and restaurants serving a dish called "gyunabe" (beef hot pot) opened one after another in Tokyo, becoming a major trend. Gyunabe was considered a treat for commoners liberated from meat restrictions and could be seen as a representative dish of the civilization and enlightenment era.
Initially, to mitigate the gamey odor, miso-based broths were predominant. As meat quality improved, additional ingredients like tofu and shirataki were included, and a sauce made with soy sauce, sugar, and sake was used for simmering. However, after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, Tokyo's gyunabe restaurants suffered a significant setback, with most closing down. Subsequently, the name for the dish "sukiyaki" from Kansai was adopted in the Kanto region, where both specialized restaurants and households began using a method similar to that of Kansai for cooking. In Kansai, the meat is first grilled, and then broth and vegetables are added, while in Kanto, especially in homes, boiling the broth before adding both meat and vegetable
Opportunities and times of eating habits

In the past, it was common to eat sukiyaki at restaurants, but nowadays, it is not only enjoyed at eateries but also prepared and consumed in ordinary households.
How to eat

In the Kanto style, for sukiyaki, you start by putting the broth into the sukiyaki pot and heating it. Once it boils, you arrange thinly sliced beef, vegetables such as chrysanthemum greens and green onions cut into bite-sized pieces, shirataki, and tofu. When it reaches your preferred level of doneness, you dip it in beaten egg before eating.
Efforts for Preservation and Succession

(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches to commercialization)
Currently, since all the ingredients are readily available, sukiyaki is widely enjoyed in ordinary households. Supermarkets and butcher shops sell sukiyaki beef and sets, and in regions known for Japanese beef, there are unique offerings like "sukiyaki sets." Traditional establishments such as "Asakusa Imahan," established in 1876, "Chinya" established in 1879, and "Yonekyu," which still bears the name of "Gyunabe," have been in business since the inception of sukiyaki culture, preserving the taste of Tokyo sukiyaki. Some of these iconic establishments, like "Echizen" in Yushima, founded in 1871 and beloved by literary figures such as Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Natsume Soseki, and Mori Ogai, unfortunately closed in 2020, much to the regret of many.

RECIPE

Ingredients (5 servings)

Beef (for sukiyaki) 200-250g
Napa cabbage 1／6
Chrysanthemum green 1／2 bunch
Enoki mushroom 1／2 pack
Green onions 1
Grilled tofu 1／2 tofu
Shirataki (=konjac noodles) (tied) 4 pieces
Eggs 2
[Warishita(Soup Soy Sauce)] Soy sauce 1／2 cup
[Warishita(Soup Soy Sauce)] Sake 1／2 cup
[Warishita(Soup Soy Sauce)] Mirin(sweet rice wine) 1／2 cup
[Warishita(Soup Soy Sauce)] Dashi (=Japanese soup stock) 1／2 cup
[Warishita(Soup Soy Sauce)] Sugar 3 tbsp

How to cook

1. Cut the Napa cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Trim the roots of chrysanthemum greens and enoki mushrooms. Slice the green onions diagonally into 1-centimeter widths. Cut the grilled tofu into bite-sized pieces. Quickly boil the tied shirataki noodles.
2. Mix the ingredients for the broth.
3. In a sukiyaki pot, pour the broth and heat it. Once it boils, arrange the ingredients. When they reach your preferred doneness, dip them in beaten eggs before eating.

provider : Sapporo Breweries Limited

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

Sukiyaki (Beef hot pot) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

Tokyo Prefecture

Sukiyaki (Beef hot pot)

Main lore areas

Main ingredients used

History/origin/related events

Opportunities and times of eating habits

How to eat

Efforts for Preservation and Succession

RECIPE

Ingredients (5 servings)

How to cook