Chinese Hot Pot

                Hot pot is very common in Chinese families. Hot pot consists of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the hot pot is simmering, ingredients are placed into the pit and are cooked at the table. Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meats, leaf vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, dumplings, and seafood. Vegetables, fish, shrimp and crab should be fresh. We will usually eat hotpot with a unique dipping sauce and drinks to accompany. We usually eat hot pot in the winter because it keeps us warm. We can pick the soup base to be spicy or mild. Nowadays they introduce a pot that can have both, which we call it “yuan yam.”     

                The Chinese hot pot has a history of more than 1,000 years. Hot pot was first originated in Mongolia where the main ingredient was meat. It then spread to southern china during Tang Dynasty and Chinese people develop different ingredients such as seafood. By the Qing Dynasty, the hot pot became more famous. Back then we use traditional coal heated hot pot. Today in most families replace it with electric or propane gas. There are many ways to call hot pot. In Japan and Taiwan they call hot pot as shabu-shabu. In Thailand hotpot is called Thai Suki. In Singapore and Malaysia hot pot is known as steamboat.

                Other common ingredients for hot pot includes Fish Ball, Lobster, Octopus, tofu, spinach, pumpkin, taro, udon, crab stick, mussels, clams and etc.