Japan — sukiyaki popularised during Meiji era (1868–1912) as beef-eating became socially accepted after centuries of Buddhist meat-avoidance
Sukiyaki (すき焼き) is one of Japan's most celebrated hot pot dishes — thin-sliced premium beef (wagyu preferred) cooked at the table in a shallow iron pan. But sukiyaki is not one dish: Kantō (Tokyo) style and Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto) style differ fundamentally in both technique and flavour philosophy. In Kantō style, a warishita sauce (pre-mixed dashi, shoyu, mirin, and sugar) is poured into the pan from the start and the ingredients are cooked in the sauce from beginning to end. In Kansai style, beef is placed in the dry heated pan, sugar is sprinkled directly on the meat, soy sauce is added, the beef is caramelised briefly, then remaining ingredients are added — more interactive, more theatrical, more focussed on the beef's own rendered fat as the cooking medium. Both versions are served with a raw beaten egg for dipping (tamago-dōfu) — the egg's richness tames the sweet-savoury intensity of the warishita. Wagyu (specifically A4–A5 grade) transforms sukiyaki from merely good to transcendent — the intramuscular fat renders into the sauce, creating extraordinary depth. Ingredients beyond beef include firm tofu, nappa cabbage, shirataki (konnyaku noodles), spring onion, and fu (wheat gluten). Sukiyaki is a special-occasion winter dish — celebratory, communal, and deeply associated with the Meiji-era beef-eating revolution.
Sweet-savoury concentrated shoyu and mirin richness, deep wagyu fat, silky egg coating — luxuriously intense, unmistakably Japanese celebration flavour
{"Kantō: warishita sauce (dashi:shoyu:mirin:sugar) pre-mixed, poured into pan at start — all ingredients cook in sauce throughout","Kansai: dry pan, sugar on beef, soy sauce, beef self-basting in own fat — sauce and water added incrementally","Warishita ratio: roughly 1 part soy sauce, 1 part mirin, 1/2 part sugar, small amount dashi — adjust for preferred sweetness","Dipping raw egg: beaten in small bowl tableside — coating each piece tones sweetness and adds creaminess","Beef sliced paper-thin (1.5–2mm) — wagyu A4/A5 fat renders immediately on contact with heat","Manage liquid level in Kantō style — replenish with sake or dashi to maintain correct sauce concentration"}
{"A cast iron or heavy-gauge sukiyaki pan (sukiyaki nabe) retains heat more evenly than thin pans","Serve at the table on a portable butane stove — theatrical performance is integral to the experience","In Kansai style, the first beef portion establishes the flavour base — use the most marbled pieces first","Udon or rice cooked in the remaining sauce at meal's end (shime) — the concentrated sweet-savoury liquid is prized"}
{"Using lean beef — sukiyaki requires marbled wagyu or well-marbled beef for the fat to create sauce depth","Overcrowding the pan — beef needs space to cook evenly; work in batches","Cooking too long — thin-sliced wagyu requires only seconds per side; overcooking destroys delicate texture","Neglecting the raw egg — it is not optional; the egg dip fundamentally modifies the eating experience"}
Shizuo Tsuji, Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art; Yoshihiro Murata, Kaiseki