Hot Pot, Cool Trick: The Art Of The Reboil

Hot pot, or huǒ guō in Chinese, is a fun and social dining experience with roots in Chinese culture. It involves diners gathering around a pot of flavoured broth, which is kept simmering throughout the meal. Each person chooses their own selection of raw ingredients—such as meat, seafood, tofu, and vegetables—which they add to the broth to cook. The cooked food is then dipped in a sauce and eaten. The social aspect of hot pot comes from the fact that it is a highly customisable meal, with each person able to choose their own ingredients and sauces to suit their tastes.

Broth

The broth is a central component of the hot pot experience. It is traditionally served in a large metal pot, brought to a boil and left to simmer throughout the meal. Raw ingredients are placed into the broth and cooked. The cooked pieces are then dipped into sauces for additional flavour.

There are many different types of broth used for hot pot, depending on the region. In China, the two most common types are the Sichuan spicy broth and the chicken stock-based mild broth. The Sichuan spicy broth is made with a concentrated, highly flavoursome soup base and water or stock. It has a high content of fat, usually beef tallow, and a distinctive taste of mala (mouth-numbing and hot). The chicken stock-based mild broth is a general term for a non-spicy broth that typically consists of stock, aromatics, herbs, and sometimes vegetables.

Other types of broth include the Manchu hot pot broth, which uses plenty of suan cai (Chinese sauerkraut) to make the broth sour, and the Chongqing hot pot, which uses mala seasoning flavoured with chilli peppers and Sichuan pepper. In Taiwan, it is common to eat hot pot with a dipping sauce consisting of shacha sauce and raw egg yolk. In Hainan cuisine, the broth is generally served in small woks with pieces of meat that are not fully cooked. In Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine, chrysanthemum flowers are cooked in the broth to give it a floral essence.

Dipping ingredients

Hot pot is a Chinese dish where a variety of raw ingredients are cooked in a simmering pot of soup at the table. The cooked pieces are then dipped into sauces for additional flavour.

Hot pot dipping sauces are highly personal, and there are many options to choose from. Here are some common ingredients used in hot pot dipping sauces:

• Chinese sesame paste or sauce
• Peanut butter or peanut sauce
• Soy sauce (light, seasoned, or seafood-flavoured)
• Sha Cha Sauce (Chinese BBQ Sauce)
• Sichuan Peppercorn Oil
• Chili Garlic Sauce / Sambal Oelek
• Chinese black vinegar/rice vinegar
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Fried shallots or garlic
• Scallions
• Cilantro
• Oyster sauce
• Sesame oil
• Fish sauce
• Hoisin sauce
• Chili oil
• Sriracha
• Chopped chilli peppers
• Roasted chopped peanuts
• Whole fried soybeans
• White pepper
• Sugar
• MSG

Basic Hot Pot Dipping Sauce

• 1 tbsp Chinese sesame paste
• 1 tbsp Sha Cha Sauce
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp oyster sauce
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp rice vinegar or Chinese black vinegar
• 1-3 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp chopped scallion

Light Sesame Soy Dip

• 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped spring onion
• Sprinkle of sesame seeds

Chilli Oil Vinegar Dip

• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tbsp black vinegar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp chopped spring onion

Spicy Peanut Dip

• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp spicy bean paste (la dou ban jiang)
• 1 tbsp chopped spring onion

Honey Miso Dip

• 1 tbsp chopped spring onion
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander

Sauces

Hot pot is a Chinese dish where a variety of raw ingredients are cooked in a pot of flavoured broth. The cooked ingredients are then dipped into a sauce for added flavour.

The sauce is a very personal thing and can be tailored to individual tastes. Here are some common ingredients used in hot pot sauces:

• Chinese sesame paste or peanut butter
• ShaCha / Chinese BBQ sauce
• Light soy sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Sesame oil
• Chinese black vinegar, Shanghai rice vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or rice vinegar
• Fish sauce
• Hoisin sauce
• Chili oil, chili garlic sauce, or Sriracha
• Chopped chilli peppers
• Minced garlic
• Chopped scallions
• Minced cilantro
• Roasted chopped peanuts
• Toasted sesame seeds
• XO sauce
• Fermented bean curd
• White pepper
• Sichuan peppercorn powder
• Sugar
• MSG

Taiwanese Shacha Dipping Sauce

• Garlic
• Shacha sauce
• Coconut aminos
• Rice vinegar
• Aged balsamic vinegar
• Scallions
• Toasted sesame oil
• Thai chilli peppers
• Chinese sesame paste or tahini
• Cashew butter

Garlic Sesame Sauce

• Chinese sesame paste
• Cashew butter
• Coconut aminos
• Rice vinegar
• Garlic clove
• Shiitake mushroom seasoning
• Water

Chinese Spicy Garlic Chilli Sauce

• Garlic chilli sauce
• Balsamic vinegar
• Toasted sesame oil
• Rice vinegar
• Scallions
• Toasted white sesame seeds
• Sichuan peppercorn powder
• Oyster sauce

Japanese Sesame Miso Sauce

• White miso paste or chickpea miso paste
• Toasted sesame oil
• Rice vinegar
• Chinese sesame paste or tahini
• Coconut aminos
• Toasted white sesame seeds
• Water

Spicy Peanut Sauce

• Unsalted peanut butter or almond butter
• Coconut aminos
• Toasted sesame oil
• Rice vinegar
• Water
• Garlic chilli sauce
• Cilantro

Equipment

Hot pot is a fun and social way of cooking and eating. It involves a pot of flavoured broth, placed on a burner at the centre of the table, which is kept at a gentle boil. Raw ingredients, such as meat, seafood, vegetables and noodles, are then placed into the broth and cooked. The cooked pieces are then dipped into sauces for added flavour.

The equipment you will need for a hot pot meal at home is as follows:

Necessary Equipment:

• Heat Source: A portable heat source is required for the table. A specialised electric hot pot burner is ideal, but any portable heat source will work. You could use an electric burner (coil or induction) or a tabletop gas burner. If you plan on making hot pot a regular meal, a hot pot set with a built-in electrical heating element is recommended.
• Pot: A wide, relatively shallow pot is best. Chinese stainless steel hot pots are ideal because of their round shape and depth. The metal is also quite thin, allowing the soup to heat up quickly as ingredients are added. Some designs even have a “yin-yang” feature, allowing for two different soup flavours to be cooked at the same time.
• Chopsticks: Bamboo or wooden chopsticks are best as they are heat resistant and cool off quickly.

Additional Equipment:

• Sauce Bowls: Small bowls for each person to assemble their own dipping sauce.
• Metal Hot Pot Baskets/Wire Ladles: Metal hot pot ladles are wire sieves with wide holes. They are used to nestle the food in a small wire cup, allowing the boiling liquid to circulate and cook the food.

Cooking process

Hot pot is a fun and social way of cooking and eating. It is an interactive meal, where a group of people cook and eat together. The process is simple: prepare a broth, gather your ingredients, and cook and dip them in your sauce of choice.

Broth

The broth is the backbone of your hot pot. It is usually a basic cloudy broth made from chicken, ginger, goji berries, and other aromatics. You can make your own broth or buy a store-bought stock or seasoning packet. You can also use dashi, a Japanese stock, or leftover pho broth.

Ingredients

Hot pot is all about choosing your ingredients and putting them into your pot. There is no wrong way to do it. You can choose from a variety of thinly sliced meats, seafood, tofu, vegetables, and noodles.

Meat: Choose from thinly sliced beef, pork, and chicken. You can also DIY by picking heavily marbled pieces of meat and slicing them thinly.

Seafood: Include shrimp, scallops, squid, and fish slices.

Vegetables: Leafy greens such as spinach, watercress, and lettuce; cabbages such as napa and bok choy; mushrooms such as enoki, shiitake, and oyster; crunchy vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower; and starchy vegetables like potatoes, taro, and sweet potato.

Dumplings and Balls: Fish balls, shrimp balls, cuttlefish balls, beef balls, pork balls, and various types of dumplings.

Tofu: Medium firm tofu, firm tofu, tofu puffs, pressed tofu, deep-fried tofu, and egg tofu.

Noodles: Udon, glass noodles/mung bean noodles, and shirataki noodles.

Cooking and Dipping

Once you have your broth and ingredients ready, it's time to cook and dip! Bring the broth to a boil and then take it down to a simmer. Start by adding ingredients that take longer to cook or will add more flavour, such as meats. Then, it's a free-for-all! Cook whatever you want at your own pace. Don't forget to dip your cooked ingredients in your sauce of choice before eating.

Sauce

Every family has their own version of hot pot dipping sauce. It is usually a mix of Chinese sesame paste, hoisin sauce, sweet soy sauce, and shacha (Chinese barbecue sauce). You can also add minced garlic and green onions, or a raw egg yolk for an extra kick.

Frequently asked questions