🍲 Gyu Nabe (Beef Hot Pot)

A hot pot dish originating in Yokohama, where beef is simmered in a sauce made with miso or soy sauce. While similar to sukiyaki, which involves grilling meat before simmering, beef hot pot cooks the ingredients from the beginning in the sauce. The widespread consumption of beef in Japan began in the late Edo period, following the end of the country's long period of isolation. Yokohama, which opened as a port city in 1859, was quick to embrace Western culture, leading to the early spread of meat-eating culture within the country. Inspired by the beef dishes consumed by foreigners residing in the international settlement near Yokohama Port, the owner of the izakaya (Japanese pub) "Isekuma" opened the first beef hot pot restaurant in 1862. At that time, many people in Japan were averse to eating beef, and "Isekuma" faced strong opposition from the owner's wife, resulting in the restaurant being divided into half izakaya and half beef hot pot. However, by seasoning the unfamiliar beef in a way that suited Japanese tastes, it became popular, eventually evolving into a dedicated beef hot pot establishment. Other beef hot pot restaurants followed suit, and today, long-established restaurants from the Meiji era continue to operate. Beef hot pot has become a renowned specialty dish in Yokohama.