Chinese Hot Pot Part I (火鍋) – An Introduction
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This is Part I of the Hot Pot Series. Here are the other posts in this series:
Part II – Sichuan Spicy Hot Pot
Part III – Clear Soup Hot Pot
Part IV – Quick and Easy Sichuan Spicy Hot Pot
“OK, just use the chopsticks,” explained by my parents, “and bring it in and out of the boiling broth like this for 9 times.” I quietly nodded as they demonstrated how to cook beef tripe at my first hot pot dinner. I was barely tall enough to see what’s inside of that roaring pot.
I never thought that very first hot pot lesson would mark the start of my lifelong obsession of hot pot. Just like how I never thought that one day I’d introduce this Chinese specialty to my readers on my own website…
Much like the Shabu-Shabu in Japan and fondue in Western cooking, Chinese hot pot, a.k.a. huo guo (火鍋), is a group dining activity around the table with a pot of boiling broth in the middle over a gas stove. Friends and families cook the raw ingredients of their liking in this communal pot of broth while chitchat, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company by the tableside. It is very popular way to eat especially in the winter time such as now!
The origin of hot pot dates back to over 1000 years ago. Over the years, many regional flavors have been developed. To name a few there are lamb hot pot from Northern China, seafood hot pot from Southern coastal China, and lastly the spicy chili hot pot from the Sichuan region.
Hot pot is an indispensable part of the Sichuan cuisine. In the city Chongqing, formerly part of Sichuan province and the place I grew up, spicy hot pot is the single most popular dish in the region. There are so many hot pot restaurants on the street of Chongqing that people believe you smell the hot pot in the air on the street.
What makes the spicy Sichuan hot pot so famous is that it puts significant focus on the soup base than most of its counterparts. The fragrant soup base consists of an oil-stock mixture prepared with massive amount of chili, Sichuan peppercorn, and aromatic species which are kept as top secret by each hot pot restaurant owner.
Growing up eating Chonqing hot pot, I have always favored the spicy version over any other variations. Just the smell of that chili aroma get me really excited and I normally go crazy when I do eat it. However, when I make my hot pot at home in New York, I always do a half spicy half non-spicy to accommodate the people who can’t handle the heat.
Although in China, people nowadays cook all sorts of edibles in hot pot, the ingredients in the States are somewhat limited. Regardless the flavor of your hot pot, these are some of the most common ingredients you’ll see on the table:
Popular Ingredients
Protein:
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Vegetables:
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Starch:
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Drinks:
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Cooking and eating the hot pot is easy. You simply cook the ingredients in the pot and enjoy the food with or without a dipping sauce. For ingredients that cook quickly such as shaved beef or beef tripe, you will have to hold the food using your chopsticks and cook it to the right doneness. For those who are not too confident of their chopstick skills, a small mesh drainer can make it easier to find that needle in the sea.
A word of caution, since the food is cooked in the boiling broth, you should never ever eat the cooked ingredient right out of the pot. To avoid mouth burn or worse esophagus damage (trust me it really hurts), you should always let the food sit in your bowl until the temperature is lowered.
As you can see, hot pot might not be the perfect dining experience for everyone. If you don’t know your chopsticks well or don’t like the idea of sharing a pot with other people, perhaps hot pot isn’t really for you.
However, if you are interested in learning more about hot pot and perhaps you would like to prepare it yourself at home, please book mark this page and stay tuned. I will post the second installment of the Chinese hot pot series with a mouth-watering Sichuan chili hot pot recipe!
Curtsey of my friend Jim C. for some of these pictures!
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Trying the recipe as posted tonight – very excited to see the end result. Love the special pot, but I could not find one even online. Any suggestions as to where I can find one? Great website btw
Found it. Thanks none the less.
Hello Jeff, thanks for trying this recipe. Please let me know how the broth comes out? If you are still looking for the special pot, there is one pot you can try. This link is posted on my spicy hotpot recipe. Thanks again!
Thanks! That’s a really detailed plan. I always make various types of hot pot at home by myself.
wow, that’s an detailed double-flavored hot pot. I like this very much. I am always making various types of hot pot at home by myself.
Am just gathering info on hot pot and found you. well done. Just finished making a hot pot from a wok to put on an outdoor BBQ station and will visit again. Thanks/Rick
hey Rick, welcome to the world of hot pot! the last time i did a outdoor hot pot was probably 15 years ago or so when I still lived in China…good times:)
By the way, just in case you are interested I also posted a recipe for the spicy Sichuan hot pot.
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Hi Yipeng! Love your blog. We’re eagerly awaiting Part II of this magical hot pot series. Do update!
thanks for the shoutout Lindsay! The part II will arrive shortly and I’ll be sure to inform you and Brandon 🙂
How delicious. I love hot pots too. Just like yours, I always prepare one side for spicy and one for everyone else. 🙂 So perfect for this cold weather.
Thanks…I just can’t live without the hot pot…especially during the winter.
We love hot pot. After marrying to a Chinese, hot pot became another winter dish besides Sukiyaki and Shabu Shabu. We even went to eat hot pot in Taiwan too. Yours look delicious and it’s a great introduction to non-Chinese people!
Thanks Nami, I’ve never made sukiyaki and shabu shabu at home…i will be sure to make them using your recipes this winter.
I always like a “鸳鸯锅” to enjoy the best of both broths 😀
The “鸳鸯锅” or half spicy half clear broth is what I make every time. However I normally only eat from the spicy side.
Yum, I love hot pot. Love this post. Looking forward to making some hot pot soon.
Thanks Health Bee. Hot Pot is what gets me through the long winter 🙂