A Cultural Guide To Chinese Fondue: Eating Etiquette Explained

Chinese fondue, also known as a Mongolian Firepot, is a fun and social meal that involves cooking thin slices of meat and vegetables in a communal pot of slowly simmering broth. The two-step process begins with the fondue, where guests spear pieces of meat or vegetables with a dipping fork and briefly immerse them in the broth until cooked to their liking. The cooked food is then dipped into a seasoned sauce before being eaten. After the food is cooked, the rich broth is distributed as a soup, which can be further enhanced with the addition of an egg. While there are no hard and fast rules for this meal, it is recommended to start with a bland broth and serve the meat and vegetables with a well-seasoned sauce.

Meat and vegetable preparation

For the meat, you can use beef, pork, chicken, or more unusual meats such as moose, deer, rabbit, venison, and bison. Alternatively, you could opt for seafood, including shrimp, scallops, and squid. If you would like to cater to vegetarian guests, marinated tofu is a great option—some people like to brown it in a frying pan first so that it stays extra crispy and firm. Meat should be sliced thinly and, if possible, sliced fresh rather than bought pre-sliced frozen, as this can affect the taste.

For the vegetables, you can use cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, carrots, mushrooms, and potato. Cabbage leaves should be detached and left whole, and other vegetables should be sliced into thin strips. If you don't like crunchy vegetables, you can blanch them for a few minutes before serving.

You can also add sides such as grilled halloumi cheese, potato latkes, or rice or ramen noodles, which can be added straight to the broth.

Broth preparation

Chinese fondue, also known as a Mongolian Firepot, is a two-step process: first, the fondue, then the soup. The broth is typically rather bland at the beginning and gets richer over time. Here are some detailed steps for preparing the broth:

First, prepare the vegetables. For vegetables like cabbage, detach the leaves and leave them whole. For other vegetables, slice them into thin strips. If you don't like crunchy vegetables, you can blanch them for a few minutes before serving.

Next, prepare the broth by combining water and beef broth in a saucepan. You can also use chicken broth or vegetable broth as a base. Bring the liquid to a boil, then transfer enough broth to a fondue pot so that it is approximately 2/3 to 3/4 full. Keep any remaining broth warm on the stovetop.

To add extra flavour to your broth, you can experiment with different ingredients like wine, beer, craft beer, herbs, spices, or other seasonings.

Place the fondue pot on a burner in the centre of the table, and keep it simmering throughout the meal.

Dipping and Serving

Each guest should have a dipping fork and a small plate or bowl for the cooked food. Guests can spear a piece of meat or vegetable with their dipping fork, briefly immerse it in the broth until it is cooked to their liking, then dip it into their chosen sauce.

After the food is cooked, the rich broth can be distributed to those who have room for it. Optionally, you can add an egg to the broth, cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring, then ladle the broth into bowls.

Dipping sauces

A Chinese fondue is often served with a selection of dipping sauces, with a minimum of three recommended to cater to different tastes. These sauces can be used to season the meat and vegetables cooked in the fondue broth.

A traditional Chinese fondue dipping sauce can be made by combining lemon juice, soy sauce, and ground sesame seeds. Other popular sauces include ginger and mustard sauce, seafood cocktail, and Bearnaise sauce.

For those who enjoy a spicy kick, a cracked pepper sauce can be made with cream cheese, butter, garlic, cracked peppercorn, shallots, and a pinch of salt and pepper. This sauce goes well with beef.

If you prefer something more tangy and herby, a dill sauce made with sour cream, horseradish, red onion, fresh dill, and lemon juice is a good option, especially with fish.

For those who like an Asian twist, a teriyaki sauce can be made by sauteing garlic and ginger in sesame oil, then adding sherry or sake, soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch. This sauce is versatile and can be paired with chicken, beef, or fish.

Other unique sauce ideas include herbs and honey, sundried tomato aioli, peanut sauce, sesame and chive sauce, and lemon garlic sauce.

Cooking and serving

Chinese fondue, also known as a Mongolian Firepot, is a two-step process: first the fondue, then the soup. It is a communal meal where guests cook their own food.

The Broth

There are many recipes for the broth, but it should be rather bland at the beginning as it will concentrate and get richer over time. A classic broth is always a winner, but you can also experiment with coconut Thai, Indian, or Italian broths. Add a touch of pizazz with wine, beer, craft beer, herbs, spices, or other types of seasonings.

The Meat and Vegetables

Meat options include beef, pork, chicken, moose, deer, rabbit, venison, bison, and seafood including shrimp, scallops, and squid. For a vegetarian option, try marinated tofu—some like to brown it in a frying pan first to make it extra crispy and firm.

Vegetables should be cut into thin strips. If you don't like crunchy vegetables, you may want to blanch them before serving. Good options include cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, carrots, and mushrooms.

The Dipping Sauces

The sauce should be rather seasoned to contrast with the bland broth. A traditional sauce for Chinese fondue, also known as Shabu-Shabu in Japanese, is made with lemon juice, soy sauce, and ground sesame seeds. Other options include cocktail sauce, garlic sauce, curry sauce, herbs and honey, sundried tomato aioli, peanut sauce, sesame and chive sauce, lemon garlic sauce, and ginger and mustard sauce, seafood cocktail, and Bearnaise sauce.

The Sides

Sides can be dipped into the same sauces as the meat and vegetables. Traditional sides include potatoes, broccoli, and mushrooms, but you could also try Asian vegetables (broccoli rabe, bok choy, shitake mushrooms, etc.), grilled halloumi cheese, or potato latkes. You can also add rice or ramen noodles right into the broth.

The Soup

After the fondue, the rich broth can be distributed as a soup. You can add an egg to the broth and cook it for 1-2 minutes while stirring, or add some rice noodles or bok choy.

Post-fondue soup

Chinese fondue, also known as a Mongolian Firepot, is a two-step process: first the fondue, then the soup. Eating the soup at the end of the meal, rather than at the beginning, is said to aid digestion.

To make the soup, use the rich broth left over from cooking the meat and vegetables. You can add instant noodles, as suggested by one home cook, or try adding an egg to the broth. Cook for 1-2 minutes with stirring, then ladle the broth into bowls.

If you want to get creative, you could also use the broth as a base for a soup the next day. One idea is to make a stew with instant noodles. Or, if you want to add a cheesy twist, you could try a fondue soup. There are many varieties of fondue soup, including mozzarella, Gruyere, and champagne three-cheese.

Frequently asked questions