Why is it called shabu?

The term is onomatopoeic and derives from the sound (whistle) that is emitted when ingredients are shaken in the pot.

Shabu

is the term for crystalline methamphetamine in the Philippines. It is the drug of choice for 90% of Philippine drug users. Shabu is usually made with cheap medications that contain ephedrine.

Philippine police say shabu is often manufactured in industrial-style laboratories capable of producing more than one ton per day. In 1952, Suehiro, a restaurant in Osaka (which still exists today), officially changed the name from mizudaki to shabu shabu, since this was the house specialty. The name is reproduced in the sounds that occur when meat is agitated in the broth while cooking quickly. Shabu shabu literally translates to swish swish.

Other condiments are not usually added; however, for an extra touch, other types of hot pot broth can be used for shabu shabu, such as kimchi-flavored broth or tonkotsu pork bone soup. In Japan, a wide pot called “nabe” is used for shabu shabu, but any shallow pot with a thick bottom will do.