Taylor Alkemade, Phil Nadolny, and Courtney Nomiyama

What is hotpot?
Hotpot is a popular Chinese dish, consisting of a pot in the
center of the table filled with a broth whose flavor varies on
the region. People cook as they go and take turns putting in
various meats and vegetables and may place it into a
dipping sauce.
Shabu shabu is the Japanese version of this dish but mainly
features thin slices of beef. The name derives from the
sound made when swishing the meat in broth.

Foodways
Shabu Shabu:
Quality:
Fresh ingredients display the quality of the food
The dish will taste good regardless of who is
cooking because the ingredients already taste
good.

Hotpot:
Community:
Single bowl and communal utensils reflect on how
close you must be to your hotpot partners.
The act of cooking is a catalyst to bring you closer
to your cooking partners.

Cultural Stereotypes
Japan:
Quality:
Obsession with quality can only be satiated by
seeing the ingredients raw before cooking.
Cleanliness:
Cross contamination does not happen as utensils
change depending on their use. There is little room
to contaminate the dish.

China:
Lack of hygiene:
Communal utensils provide many opportunities for
cross contamination between cooking partners.
Stinginess:
Typically fixed amount of food to cook for a group of
people. Not the all you can eat style of Shabu
Shabu.

China vs. Japan

Similarities
Originated in Mongolia before spreading to China and
then Japan.
Multiple dipping sauces
Soy
Egg
More variety in regional differences of China

Differences
Shabu Shabu:
Separate utensils used for personal eating and
communal cooking.
Hotpot:
No separation of utensils for cooking and eating.

Environmental Impact

Sources

All you can eat (tabehoudai) nature of encourages overconsumption.

People often gorge themselves to get their meals worth.
Consequently, China and Japan will have to deal with their
populations rising consumption rates.
Public utensils used in hotpot and shabu shabu restaurants
are often made of wood.
This is a waste of natural resources and contributes to
deforestation in China.
Wood is not easily recyclable and stays in landfills.
Waste management is thus becoming a huge issue for
both China and Japan.

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No, Sandra. "The Dangers of Asian Stereotypes." The Dangers of Asian
Stereotypes. University of Colorado Boulder, 6 Aug. 2014. Web. 12 Mar.
2015.
Otani, Hiromi. "Bon Appetit! Japanese Culture in the Kitchen."
NIPPONIA. Web Japan, 15 Dec. 2015. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.
"Protecting China's Forests." Greenpeace East Asia. Greenpeace, n.d.
Web. 12 Mar. 2015.