Sukiyaki

Thinly sliced beef, tofu, mushrooms and greens are cooked at the table in a shallow iron pan of sweet soy warishita, then each bite is dipped in beaten raw egg before eating. It is a convivial winter feast.

Sukiyaki's origins are debated, but it is widely associated with the Meiji era (late 19th century), when Japanese society began openly consuming beef after centuries of Buddhist-influenced abstention. The dish likely evolved from simple methods of grilling meat on a plowshare (suki) or in a shallow pan, with a sweet soy-based broth (warishita) emerging later as a common cooking style.

Regional variations exist, most notably between the Kanto (eastern) style, which prepares the broth in the pan before adding ingredients, and the Kansai (western) style, which first sears the beef with sugar and soy sauce before adding other items. Sukiyaki is a classic winter nabemono (hot pot) dish, enjoyed as a communal, festive meal where diners cook at the table and dip each morsel in beaten raw egg—a practice that adds richness and cools the hot food.