Dive Into The World Of Chinese Hot Pot: A Beginner's Guide To This Flavorful Feast

Chinese hot pot is less of a dish and more of an experience. It's an interactive and customisable meal, where you cook an array of ingredients in a single pot of seasoned broth. It's a communal dining experience, where you can team up with a group of friends to cook and enjoy your meal.

The three basic components of hot pot are broth, dipping ingredients, and sauces. You can choose from a variety of broths, including chicken broth, tom yum, ma-la, and mushroom. The dipping ingredients typically include thinly sliced meats, seafood, vegetables, and noodles. You cook these ingredients in the broth and then dip them in your choice of sauce before eating.

Hot pot is a fun and social dining experience that allows you to customise your meal to your liking. It's a great way to enjoy a meal with friends and family while sharing stories and creating memories.

Choose your broth

Choosing the right broth is essential for a tasty hot pot. The two most common types of hot pot broth are the Sichuan spicy broth and the chicken stock-based mild broth.

Sichuan Spicy Broth

The most popular type of spicy broth is the Hong You Guo Di/红油锅底, which originates from Sichuan and Chongqing. This broth has a high fat content, a strong aroma, and a distinctive mouth-numbing and spicy taste. It is made from a soup base of beef tallow or cooking oil, dried chilli peppers, Sichuan pepper, and other spices, aromatics, and fermented ingredients.

Chicken Stock-Based Mild Broth

A mild hot pot broth, known as Qing Tang Guo Di/清汤锅底 in Chinese, is a general term for non-spicy broth that usually consists of stock, aromatics, herbs, and sometimes vegetables. It is light in taste and easy to prepare. A simple version can be made with water, scallions, and ginger, while a more flavourful version would use chicken, pork, beef, mushroom, or tomato stock.

Other Broths

In addition to the two most common types, there are several other broths to choose from. These include:

• Savoury mushroom broth: a good vegetarian option that is rich in umami.
• Tom Yum: a slightly sweet and spicy broth that goes well with meat.
• Ma-La: a spicy Szechuan broth with curry-like flavours.
• Coconut-infused seafood tom kha.

Select your meats and proteins

When it comes to choosing your meats and proteins for a Chinese hot pot, the world is your oyster. From thinly sliced beef to tofu puffs, there is a wide variety of options to choose from. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Meat

Beef is a popular choice for hot pot as it cooks quickly and is easy to slice thinly. Look for brisket, short rib, ribeye, sirloin, flank steak, or simply ask your butcher for a recommendation. If you can't find pre-sliced beef, pop it in the freezer for 15-30 minutes to make it easier to slice thinly. Lamb and pork are also good options and can be prepared in the same way as beef.

Poultry

Chicken is another option, although it takes longer to cook. If you opt for chicken, go for boneless breast or thighs and slice thinly.

Seafood

Head-on shrimp is a good choice as they cook in their shells, adding flavour to the broth. Other options include scallops, squid, mussels, clams, crab, lobster, and fish fillets. If you're feeling adventurous, you could try cuttlefish balls, lobster balls, or fish balls with roe.

Meat and Seafood Balls

Meatballs, fish balls, shrimp balls, squid balls, and mixed seafood balls are also popular choices for hot pot. These are usually pre-cooked, so they just need to be heated through in the broth.

Tofu and Soy Products

Tofu is a must-have for any hot pot. Try fried tofu, firm or extra-firm tofu, frozen tofu, dried tofu "skin", soybean "noodles", or tofu puffs.

Eggs

Quail eggs are a traditional addition to hot pot. Boil them briefly, peel them, and add them to your broth.

Pick seafood options

Seafood is a great option for a Chinese hot pot. It adds a delicious savory flavor to the hot pot broth. There are many different types of seafood to choose from, so here are some ideas to get you started:

• Head-on shrimp is a good choice as they cook in their shells, adding extra flavor to the broth. Be careful when eating, as very hot broth can become trapped in the shell.
• Fish fillets such as tilapia, bass, or flounder cut into thin slices or small pieces will cook quickly in the hot pot.
• Squid or cuttlefish are great options, as are scallops.
• If you want to add some extra spice to your hot pot, try some shrimp balls, which are pre-cooked and just need to be heated through.
• For a real treat, add some lobster or crab to your hot pot.
• Mussels and oysters are also great options for a seafood hot pot.
• For something a little different, try salmon or seabass.

Remember to cook your seafood thoroughly. After adding raw seafood, allow the broth to boil for at least 30 seconds to one minute before removing any other items from the pot.

Order vegetables

Ordering Vegetables for Chinese Hot Pot

When it comes to Chinese hot pot, the sky's the limit when it comes to choosing vegetables. Here are some tips and suggestions for ordering vegetables to create a delicious and well-balanced hot pot experience.

Types of Vegetables

Include a variety of vegetables in your hot pot to add different textures, flavours, and colours. Here are some options:

• Leafy Greens: Baby bok choy, napa cabbage, spinach, watercress, pea tips, choy sum, AA Choy/Cai, and chrysanthemum leaves. Wash and cut the greens into manageable pieces.
• Other Vegetables: Pumpkin, kabocha squash, tomatoes, corn, lotus root, potato, sweet potato, daikon radish, bamboo shoots, and winter melon. Peel and slice these vegetables into manageable pieces.
• Mushrooms: Enoki, wood ears, king mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and shimeji mushrooms. Mushrooms add a savoury umami flavour to the broth.

Amount and Cooking Time

Order a variety of vegetables, but remember that hot pot is also about meat, seafood, and starches. As a guide, choose 1-2 types of leafy greens, 1-2 types of other vegetables, and 1-2 types of mushrooms.

Keep in mind that different vegetables have different cooking times. Delicate vegetables like leafy greens and enoki mushrooms will cook within seconds or a minute, while heartier vegetables like potatoes or mushrooms will take several minutes. Add the vegetables to the hot pot in batches to avoid overcooking.

Preparation and Presentation

Wash and cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Some vegetables, like corn, should be cut into smaller pieces to speed up cooking. Present the vegetables on individual plates or bowls, ready for cooking in the hot pot.

Vegetarian Hot Pot

It is possible to have a completely vegetarian hot pot. Simply omit the meat and seafood, and focus on a variety of vegetables, tofu, and starches. You can also find vegetarian hot pot balls made from ingredients like tofu and mixed vegetables.

Add noodles

Noodles are a great way to round off a hot pot meal, as they are filling and cook quickly. You can add them to the hot pot about halfway through your meal. Here are some tips for adding noodles to your Chinese hot pot:

Choose your noodles

Udon, vermicelli, chow mein, and shandong noodles are commonly found on hot pot menus. If you're trying to cut down on carbohydrates, you could opt for yam noodle bundles or shirataki noodles.

Timing

Add the noodles to the hot pot after you've cooked the other ingredients, about halfway through your meal. This will allow the broth to be flavoured by the ingredients you've already cooked.

Cooking

Stir the noodles gently and cook them for a couple of minutes or until they are soft.

Quantity

As noodles are filling, it's best to add them towards the end of the meal so you have room to enjoy all the other ingredients.

Frequently asked questions