Hot Pot Basics: A Beginner's Guide To This Flavorful Feast

Hot pot is a communal dining experience, thought to have originated in East Asia, where a large pot of broth is placed on the centre of the table and diners add different ingredients to boil inside. It is an interactive and customisable meal, where people cook their own food in a communal pot of simmering broth.

There are three basic components to hot pot: broth, dipping ingredients, and sauces. The broth can be anything from a simple cloudy chicken broth to a bold and spicy Chongqing variant. Dipping ingredients include thinly sliced meats, seafood, and vegetables. Each person can then mix their own dipping sauce from an array of herbs, sauces, and aromatics.

Hot pot is a social meal, where friends and family gather around the table to cook and eat while enjoying each other's company. It is also a very cost-effective meal, as it is designed to be shared.

Hot pot history

Hot pot is thought to have originated in Eastern Asia, introduced by the Mongolian Empire thousands of years ago. The original hot pot was a simple broth served with horse meat and mutton, eaten from soldiers' helmets as they travelled. As the Mongolian Empire's cultural influence spread, so did the hot pot, taking on new forms in Northern China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

Today, hot pot is a popular communal dining experience, particularly in the fall and winter months. It is an interactive and customisable meal, with a variety of ingredients cooked in a simmering pot of broth at the centre of the table. The basic components are broth, dipping ingredients, and sauces. Broths can range from light and watery to spicy and oily, and dipping ingredients typically include thinly sliced meats, seafood, vegetables, and tofu. Each diner can mix their own dipping sauce to taste, choosing from condiments such as soy sauce, garlic, and chilli.

Equipment

Hot pot is a communal dining experience, so you'll need to ensure you have enough equipment for everyone. Here's a list of the essential equipment you'll need to prepare and enjoy hot pot:

Heat Source

A portable heat source is required for hot pot, and there are two popular options: butane and electric. Butane burners are cordless and offer a romantic, live flame. They are also quieter and tend to be cheaper than electric burners. However, the main drawback is the need to procure butane canisters, which can be a hassle to dispose of properly. Electric induction cooktops, on the other hand, are more efficient, safe, and versatile. They are also more challenging to learn to cook with and require magnetic pots with completely flat bottoms.

Pot

A wide, relatively shallow pot is best for hot pot. Chinese stainless steel hot pots are ideal due to their round shape and depth, though any wide and shallow pot will work. If you want to offer two different soup flavours, you can use a pot with two compartments.

Chopsticks

Bamboo or wooden chopsticks are recommended for hot pot as they are heat resistant and cool down quickly. Plastic and metal chopsticks are not ideal as plastic may melt, and metal conducts heat. It's best to have two pairs per person: one for handling raw food and the other for cooked food and eating.

Additional Equipment

• Sauce bowls: Small bowls for each person to assemble their dipping sauce.
• Metal hot pot baskets/wire ladles: These are not necessary, but they are useful for cooking and retrieving food from the pot.
• Strainer with handle: One per person to keep track of the food they put in the soup.

Broth

There are two main types of hot pot broth: spicy and mild. Spicy hot pot broth is typically Sichuan style, made with a concentrated, highly flavoursome soup base and water (or stock). The most popular type is Hong You Guo Di/红油锅底, which comes from Sichuan and Chongqing. This broth has a high content of fat (usually beef tallow but can be cooking oil), a strong aroma, and a distinctive mouth-numbing and spicy taste. The soup base is made with dried chilli peppers, Sichuan pepper, aromatics (scallions, onion, coriander, garlic, and ginger), spices (star anise, cassia cinnamon, bay leaves, etc.), and fermented ingredients (Sichuan chilli bean paste and fermented black beans).

A mild hot pot broth is typically a chicken stock-based broth, with added aromatics, herbs, and sometimes vegetables. It is light and easy to prepare. A simple version can be made with water, scallions, and ginger, while a more flavourful version would use stock made from chicken, pork, beef, mushroom, or tomatoes.

In addition to these two main types of broth, there are many other varieties. A basic cloudy chicken broth with ginger, goji berries, and other aromatics is one of the most well-known styles. Other options include a bold and spicy Chongqing variant, a savory mushroom broth, sweet-and-sour tomato, and even a coconut-infused seafood broth.

When preparing a hot pot at home, it is recommended to use a divided pot with one spicy and one mild broth. This allows diners to experience different flavours and textures throughout the meal.

Dipping ingredients

Hot pot is an interactive and communal dining experience. It is less of a dish than an experience, encapsulating the communal dining ethos. The basic components of hot pot are broth, dipping ingredients, and sauces.

Meat

Thinly sliced meats are a key dipping ingredient in hot pot. Lamb, beef, and pork are popular choices, as they cook quickly in the broth. Chicken is also offered, but its longer cooking time may deter impatient guests. If you are hosting, you can easily find packages of pre-sliced meats at Asian supermarkets in the freezer.

Seafood

Seafood items are also common dipping ingredients. Whole shrimp, thinly sliced fish fillets, shrimp balls, squid, and scallops are all popular choices. Shrimp with the head-on is recommended as it makes the soup stock sweeter.

Meatballs

Meatballs are also a popular choice for hot pot. Beef, squid, fish, shrimp, and pork meatballs are usually pre-cooked and just need to be heated through in the broth.

Vegetables

A variety of vegetables can be used as dipping ingredients in hot pot. Leafy greens such as bok choy, napa cabbage, spinach, and watercress are popular choices. Other vegetables such as pumpkin, tomatoes, corn, and potatoes can also be used.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are another popular dipping ingredient for hot pot. Enoki, shiitake, oyster, and king mushrooms are all great choices as they pick up the flavors from the soup.

Starches

Starches such as noodles, rice cakes, and dumplings are also commonly used as dipping ingredients in hot pot. Thin noodles, such as mung bean vermicelli, rice noodles, and shirataki noodles, cook quickly and won't add too much starch to the soup base.

Tofu and Bean Curd

Tofu and bean curd are also popular dipping ingredients for hot pot. Frozen tofu, firm tofu, dried bean curd rolls, and fresh tofu sheets/skin are all good options.

Other Ingredients

Other unique dipping ingredients can include pig skin, blood tofu, and other organ meats. These ingredients may be an acquired taste for some, but they add variety and depth of flavor to the hot pot experience.

Sauces

Hot pot is an interactive and customisable meal. It is an experience encapsulating the communal dining ethos. It involves cooking an array of ingredients in a single pot of seasoned broth.

The three basic components of hot pot are broth, dipping ingredients, and sauces.

Hot pot sauces are a very personal thing. Each individual can mix their own dipping sauce, choosing from an array of sauces, herbs, and aromatics. Here are some popular options:

• Soy sauce: A prerequisite for hot pot, it is often used as a dipping sauce on its own.
• Peanut sauce (satay): A thick, tasty sauce made from ground roasted peanuts and spices.
• Chopped garlic, ginger, scallions, cilantro, and chillies: How much of each to use is completely up to you.
• Chilli sauce: From chilli oil to sweet chilli paste, there are many kinds of chilli sauces with different nuances and heat levels.
• Tahini (sesame paste): Use a little less than sauces like Hoisin or soy. It pairs well with Hoisin sauce and chilli sauce.
• XO sauce: A Hong Kong invention with big-time ingredients like cured ham and dried seafood.
• Egg: Try cracking an egg into the dipping sauce for a smooth consistency.
• Leek flower sauce: A pungent sauce made from pulverised garlic chive flowers. A mainstay of hot pot dipping sauces in Northern China.
• Fish sauce: For true fish sauce lovers only! Balance it out with lots of other strong flavours.
• Hoisin sauce: Hoisin sauce has a sweet flavour and is often seen as a sauce bar option in restaurants.
• Chilli oil: A mild heat and rich flavour without being overpowering.
• Chilli garlic sauce/Sriracha: Adds a more vinegar-y spice.
• Other chilli sauces: Your chilli crisps, fermented beans, etc. Be careful of salt levels with these.
• Chopped chilli peppers
• Roasted chopped peanuts
• Whole fried soybeans
• Toasted sesame seeds
• White pepper
• Sugar
• A very small pinch of MSG

Some Popular Hot Pot Dipping Sauce Recipes:

• Kaitlin's Hot Pot Dipping Sauce: Sha cha, Chinese sesame paste, light soy sauce, white pepper, homemade chilli oil, garlic, scallions, and cilantro.
• Bill's Hot Pot Dipping Sauce: Peanut butter, light soy sauce, garlic, scallions, and cilantro.
• Judy's Hot Pot Dipping Sauce: Light soy sauce, chilli oil, cilantro, and scallions.
• Sarah's Hot Pot Dipping Sauce: Sesame paste, sha cha sauce, garlic, cilantro, scallions, and sesame seeds.
• Justin's Hot Pot Dipping Sauce: Chinese black vinegar, light soy sauce, sha cha sauce, sesame paste, garlic, scallions, and cilantro.
• Basic Hot Pot Dipping Sauce: Chinese sesame paste, sha cha sauce, light soy sauce, chilli oil, oyster sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar or Chinese black vinegar, garlic, cilantro, and scallions.

There are endless combinations and variations of hot pot sauces, so get creative and experiment to find your favourite!

Frequently asked questions