Hot pot,and the less common Chinese fondue,refer to several East Asian varieties of stew, consisting of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table.While the hot pot is kept simmering,ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table.Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meat,leafy vegetables,mushrooms,wontons,egg dumplings,and seafood.The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce.In many areas,hot pot meals are often eaten in the winter.
The Chinese hot pot boasts a history of more than 1,000 years. While often called”Mongolian hot pot”,it is unclear if the dish actually originated in Mongolia.Mongol warriors had been known to cook with their helmets,which they used to boil food,but due to the complexity and specialization of the utensils and the method of eating,hot pot cooking 1S much better suited to a sedentary culture.A nomadic household will avoid such highly specialized tools to save volume and weight during migration.Both the preparation method and the required equipment are unknown in the cuisine of Mongolia of today.
Hot pot cooking seems to have spread to northern China during the Tang Dynasty(AD 618-906).In time,regional variations developed with different ingredients such as seafood.By Qing Dynasty,hot pot had become popular throughout most of China.Today in many modern homes,particularly in big cities,the traditional coal-heated hot pot has been replaced by electric, gas or electromagnetic cooker versions.
Because hot pot styles change so much from
region to region,many different ingredients are used.
In Beijing,hot pot is eaten
year-round.Typical Beijing hot pot is eaten indoors during the winter.Different
kinds of hot pot can be found in Beijing-typically,more modern eateries offer
the sectioned bowl with differently flavored broths in each section.More
traditional or older establishments serve a fragrant,but mild,broth in the hot
pot,which is a large brass vessel heated by burning coals in a central
chimney.Broth is boiled in a deep,donut-shaped bowl surrounding the chimney.
One of the most famous variations is the
Chongqing or Chungking”ma la” hot pot. to which a special spice known
as pepper huajiao is added.It creates a sensation on the tongue that is both
spicy and hot almost like carbonated beverages.It it common to use a variety of
different meats as well as sliced mutton fillet.A Chongqing hotpot is markedly
different from the types eaten in other parts of China.Quite often the
differences lie in the meats used.the type of soup base,and the sauces and
condiments used to flavor the meat.”ma la hud guo”could be used to
distinguish it from”huö guo”in cases when people refer to
the”Northern Style Hot Pot” in China.”Shuan yang rou”,could
be viewed as representative of this kind of food. which does not focus on the
soup base.
The Manchurian hot pot(dong bei suan cai huo guo)uses plenty of pickles Suan cai to make the pot’s stew sour.
