Hot Pot's Global Conquest: A Culinary Sensation

Hot pot is a popular dish in China and has become increasingly popular in other parts of the world. It is a social and interactive dining experience where people gather around a pot of simmering broth and cook a variety of raw ingredients such as meat, seafood, vegetables, and noodles. The cooked food is then dipped in sauces before eating. Hot pot is considered a healthy meal as boiling is a better cooking method than frying, and the broth contains nutrients released from the bones. It is also said to have medicinal properties and can help improve circulation and increase perspiration. Hot pot has a long history in China, dating back to the Three-Kingdom Era, and has since spread to other parts of Asia and the world, with various regional variations.

The social aspect of hot pot

Hot pot is a highly social meal, bringing people together and encouraging interaction and bonding. It is a communal dining experience, with diners cooking and eating together from a single pot of broth. This style of eating is in keeping with the Chinese cultural emphasis on group identity and collective consciousness.

Hot pot is a social leveller, with everyone eating the same food from the same pot, and the very nature of the meal encourages sharing and generosity. Diners congregate around the central pot, creating a focal point for the meal and encouraging conversation and connection. It is a meal that is designed to be shared with friends and family, and it is rare for someone to eat hot pot alone.

The adaptability of hot pot also adds to its social appeal. The dish can be customised according to individual preferences, allowing each diner to cook their food to their own liking and accommodating different tastes and dietary requirements. This makes it an inclusive meal, catering to everyone from picky eaters to adventurous foodies.

Hot pot is also a cost-effective social activity. The communal nature of the meal means that it is often more affordable for diners to order a variety of ingredients to share, and the social aspect of the meal adds value to the dining experience.

In addition to its social role within personal relationships, hot pot has also played a part in Chinese social history. Large hot pot feasts have been recorded throughout history, including a banquet held by the Jiaqing Emperor with 1550 simmering hot pots to celebrate his accession to the throne.

The health benefits of hot pot

Hot pot, also known as steamboat, is a popular meal, especially in China, with a long history. It involves cooking raw ingredients like meat, seafood, and vegetables in a simmering pot of broth. While it is a tasty and sociable meal, it can be unhealthy if consumed too frequently or in large quantities. However, there are ways to make hot pot healthier, and it does offer some health benefits when consumed in moderation. Here are some of the health benefits of hot pot:

Social and Emotional Benefits

Hot pot is a communal dining experience that brings people together for hours of eating, drinking, and conversation. It creates an opportunity for socialisation and connection, fostering warmth and good memories with friends and family.

Nutritional Benefits

Hot pot allows for a wide variety of ingredients, including vegetables, lean meats, and tofu, which can provide a balanced and nutritious meal. Eating hot pot can be a great way to increase your vegetable intake, especially if you follow the tip of eating vegetables first. This also helps to create a feeling of fullness and pace your appetite, preventing overeating.

Healthier Cooking Method

Unlike frying or other cooking methods that use added fat, hot pot involves boiling ingredients in broth. This cooking method releases nutrients from the ingredients back into the broth, maximising flavour without the need for excessive added fats.

Customisability

The customisable nature of hot pot means you can make healthier choices. For example, choosing a clear or light-flavoured soup base instead of oilier options like satay, curry, or pork bone can reduce your calorie and fat intake. You can also opt for healthier dipping sauces by using herbs, chilli peppers, and garlic instead of calorie-dense options like chilli oil, satay, or peanut sauces.

Warming Properties

Hot pot is an excellent way to stay warm during the winter months. The warm broth and ingredients can help raise your body temperature, providing a comforting and satisfying meal when it's cold outside.

While hot pot can be a healthy and enjoyable meal, it's important to consume it in moderation and make conscious choices about ingredients and sauces to maximise the health benefits and minimise potential negative impacts.

The different types of hot pot

Hot pot is a popular dish in East Asian countries such as China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Switzerland. It is a social dish that promotes communal dining and bonding between friends and loved ones. The premise is simple: a group of people gather around a simmering broth and dip raw slices of meat, vegetables, and other ingredients until they’re cooked.

Beijing-Style Hotpot

This style of hotpot is served in a volcano-shaped copper pot. The main ingredient is thinly sliced mutton, which is cooked with mushrooms, ginger, and scallions. Other ingredients include stomach meat, sliced lamb, tofu, green vegetables, and thin rice noodles.

Chongqing Hotpot

This is a heavily spiced and numbingly spicy variety of hotpot from the Sichuan province in southwestern China. It is characterised by the use of chilli peppers and Sichuan pepper, which gives off a mouth-numbingly spicy flavour known as mala. A wide variety of ingredients can be used, from congealed blood to cheese balls and live shrimp.

Yunnan Hotpot

This variety of hotpot heavily features mushrooms, as the Yunnan province is home to 90% of China's mushroom species. It also includes fresh vegetables, edible flowers, and various types of mushrooms. The broth is fragrant and spicy, and it is served with a variety of dipping sauces mixed with chilli and sesame oil.

Coconut Chicken Hotpot

This variety of hotpot has become increasingly popular in China. The main ingredients are chicken and coconut milk, which give the broth a rich and creamy flavour. It is considered healthier than other types of hotpot that use fatty oils or butter. It is often served with freshly squeezed lime juice and dipping sauces made from soy sauce.

Chrysanthemum Flower Hotpot

This type of hotpot is made with chicken stock and chrysanthemum flowers, which give the broth a floral essence and a soft, tender flavour. It is a typical dish from the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region and is also common in Suzhou and Hangzhou.

Tibetan-Style Hotpot

This is a light variety of hotpot that is characterised by the use of yak meat and yak bone broth. Other ingredients include tofu, meatballs, carrots, broccoli, and other vegetables. It is served with a spicy Tibetan dipping sauce.

Shabu-Shabu

This is a Japanese variety of hotpot that features thinly sliced meat, tofu, and various vegetables boiled in water. It is usually served with dipping sauces such as sesame seed or ponzu sauce. It is believed to have originated from the Chinese hotpot called instant-boiled mutton.

Spicy and Sour Fish Hotpot

This is a southern variety of hotpot that features fish, tomato, and rice soup as the main ingredients. It is commonly served during cold weather and is best made with carp. Other ingredients may include lettuce, parsley, garlic, red sour soup, cooking oil, pepper, chilli paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, dried red chilli peppers, and chicken essence.

The history of hot pot

The emergence of copper pots during the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 AD) is now a widely recognised origin of the hot pot. During this time, the hot pot was generally used for cooking chicken and duck. The global cooling period that followed, with extremely cold temperatures, likely contributed to the popularity of hot pot.

The Mongols, who established the Yuan Dynasty, were also influenced by hot pot culture. They began adding beef and lamb to the pot and the Northern Chinese style of hot pot was born. The Mongolian style of hot pot is perhaps the most well-known of all. Legend has it that Mongol warriors would cook in a communal broth or stew, sometimes using their helmets as cooking vessels and their shields as frying pans.

Over time, hot pot spread throughout China, with distinct regional variations developing. The most famous variation is Chongqing hot pot, distinguished by the addition of spicy Sichuan peppers to the broth. Sichuan hot pot is famous for its numbing taste, created by the use of Sichuan peppercorns. Other variations include Cantonese hot pot, which includes more seafood options, and Jiangsu hot pot, which features a fragrant chrysanthemum taste.

In the early 20th century, hot pot restaurants began to open in cities like Chongqing. Today, hot pot has achieved worldwide fame and can be found in most major cities.

How to prepare hot pot

Hot pot is a popular dish in China, with a history of over 1,000 years. It is a social meal, where people gather around a pot of broth, adding and cooking their choice of raw ingredients.

• Prepare the broth: Start by making the broth, which forms the base of your hot pot. You can use a pre-packaged soup base or make your own by stewing bones and seasonings. A basic broth can be made with chicken, ginger, and goji berries. For a spicy kick, add Sichuan peppercorns and red chillies.
• Prepare the ingredients: Hot pot is all about variety. Prepare a range of thinly sliced meats (beef, lamb, pork, chicken), seafood (shrimp, squid, fish), vegetables (leafy greens, mushrooms, potatoes), and starches (noodles, rice cakes, dumplings). Cut the ingredients into small pieces to ensure quick and consistent cooking in the broth.
• Make the dipping sauces: Hot pot is often served with individual dipping sauces. Provide a selection of sauces and condiments, such as sesame sauce, soy sauce, garlic sauce, vinegar, pepper sauce, and chilli oil. Each diner can then mix their own sauce to their taste.
• Heat the broth: Place a heat source, such as a portable burner, in the middle of the dining table. Bring the broth to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer.
• Cook the ingredients: Add the ingredients to the simmering broth and cook to your desired level of doneness. Start with ingredients that take longer to cook, such as meatballs or root vegetables. Then add quick-cooking items like thin slices of meat and leafy greens. Use chopsticks or a wire ladle to retrieve the cooked items from the pot.
• Enjoy the hot pot: Dip the cooked items in your chosen sauce and enjoy! Remember to keep the broth simmering throughout the meal, adding more broth if needed.

Hot pot is a fun and interactive dining experience, perfect for sharing with family and friends.

Frequently asked questions