Cody Casey
Hot pot is a fun and social way of eating. It's a choose-your-own-adventure meal, where you cook and eat a variety of raw ingredients in a communal pot of flavoured broth.
The ingredients you put in your hot pot are up to you, but here are some ideas:
- Meat: beef, pork, chicken, or lamb
- Seafood: shrimp, squid, scallops, mussels, clams, or fish
- Vegetables: leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or tomatoes
- Tofu: firm, extra firm, silken, medium, or frozen
- Dumplings: gyoza or potstickers
- Noodles: udon, glass noodles, shirataki, or instant ramen
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Broth | Spicy, clear, tomato, seafood, satay, soy milk, Japanese dashi with soy, sake, mirin, and sugar |
| Meat | Beef, pork, chicken, lamb |
| Seafood | Shrimp, squid, scallops, mussels, clams, fish |
| Vegetables | Napa cabbage, lettuce, enoki mushrooms, vermicelli, chrysanthemum greens, yu choy, mountain yam, taro, lotus root, celtuce, kabocha squash, potato, broccoli, bok choy, Chinese broccoli, yu choy, bamboo shoots, corn on the cob, tomatoes, spinach, pea shoots, glass noodles, daikon, sweet potatoes |
| Tofu | Fried tofu, fish tofu, tofu puffs, frozen tofu, silken tofu, medium tofu, firm tofu, egg tofu |
| Dumplings | Fish balls, beef balls, meatballs, pork and vegetable dumplings, pork and corn dumplings |
| Noodles | Udon, mung bean noodles, shirataki noodles, glass noodles, hand-pulled noodles, packaged dried noodles |
What You'll Learn
Meat
Beef
Beef is a popular choice for hot pot. Fatty cuts such as brisket and short rib are recommended, as well as ribeye. You can also buy pre-sliced beef from the refrigerated or frozen section of most Asian supermarkets. If you can't find pre-sliced beef, slice the meat thinly yourself. Beef tendon meatballs are another option and can be found in the frozen or refrigerated section of Asian markets.
Lamb
Lamb is another popular choice, especially in certain regions of China. Look for shoulder or leg and slice the meat thinly.
Chicken
Slice chicken breast and thigh meat thinly. You can marinate the chicken in a splash of rice wine, salt, white pepper, and julienned ginger before cooking, if desired.
Pork
Pork loin and belly are best sliced thinly for hot pot.
Offal
Offal is also a popular choice for hot pot. Look for tripe, pork intestine, tongue, kidney, and liver. These cuts will take at least five minutes to cook but can be left in the broth to soak up the flavours. Beef tongue is also a good choice and will only take about a minute to cook.
Other meats
Other meats can be used for hot pot, such as sausages.
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Seafood
Shellfish
Shellfish is a great option for hot pots, with many different types to choose from. Shrimp is one of the most popular choices and can be added whole with the shell and head on, or headless and shelled. Other options include lobster, crab, oysters, clams, mussels, abalone, and geoduck. For a fancier touch, try adding abalone and geoduck, which are thinly sliced and cooked for just a few seconds.
Fish
Fish is another popular choice for hot pots and can be sliced into thin pieces and placed in a small strainer to prevent them from getting lost in the pot. Good options for fish include halibut, salmon, monkfish, bass, and tilapia. You can also add fish balls and fish cakes, which are usually found in the freezer section of Asian supermarkets.
Squid and Cuttlefish
Fresh or dried squid and cuttlefish are also great additions to a hot pot. Make sure to clean the body and tentacle parts well and slice the body into strips or rings. Dried cuttlefish requires more preparation, needing to be soaked in water for at least 24 hours and up to two days before slicing and adding to the pot.
Other Seafood Options
In addition to the options mentioned above, you can also include scallops, mixed seafood balls, and tofu. For scallops, simply slice them thinly and add them to the pot. Mixed seafood balls are usually pre-cooked and just need to be heated through in the hot pot. Tofu is already cooked, so it just needs to be warmed up and can be cut into cubes or slices.
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Vegetables
The sky is the limit when it comes to choosing vegetables for your hot pot. The key is to opt for veggies that complement Asian flavours. Here is a list of vegetables to get you started:
Greens
- Spinach
- Baby bok choy
- Morning glory
- Kale
- Watercress
- Tatsoi
- Napa cabbage
- Pea shoots
- Chinese broccoli
- Yu choy
- Swiss chard
Mushrooms
- Oyster
- Brown
- Enoki
- Shiitake
- Shimeji
- Wood ear
Onions
- Green onion
- Red onion
- Sweet yellow onion
Peppers
- Bell peppers
- Spicy peppers
Other
- Baby corn
- Bamboo shoots
- Lotus root
- Cauliflower
- Radish
- Broccoli
- Potato
- Taro
- Sweet potato
- Winter melon
- Celtuce
- Bean sprouts
- Corn
- Kabocha squash
- Tomatoes
- Carrots
- Daikon
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Tofu
When preparing tofu for hot pot, it is recommended to use firm or extra-firm tofu as it holds its shape in the pot. Silken tofu, on the other hand, is too soft and will fall apart. It is also important to drain and press the tofu before cooking to remove excess liquid. This can be done using a tofu press or by placing the tofu between cutting boards or plates with weight on top for several hours or overnight.
Once prepared, the tofu can be cut into cubes or slices and added to the hot pot. Tofu is a great source of lean protein and can absorb the flavours of the broth and other ingredients. It is a versatile ingredient that can be used in various types of hot pot, including spicy and vegetable-based varieties.
- Spicy tofu hot pot: This recipe includes firm tofu, vegetable or chicken broth, bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese-style noodles, garlic, ginger, and chilli.
- Tofu vegetable hot pot: This recipe combines tofu with cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, carrot, coconut milk, basil, green onions, and jasmine rice.
- Korean soft tofu hotpot: This comfort food features soft tofu in a pork, seafood, and chilli broth, served with rice and side dishes.
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Noodles and dumplings
For noodles, you can use hand-pulled noodles, other fresh noodles, packaged dried noodles, shirataki noodles, or frozen dumplings.
When preparing noodles for hot pot, it is best to cook them according to the instructions on the package. You can serve them with the hot pot broth or with a hot pot dipping sauce.
For dumplings, you can find frozen dumplings in the frozen food aisle of your local grocery store. It is recommended to get the ones that are already fully cooked to avoid biting into raw filling.
Some popular options for dumplings include pork and vegetable, pork and corn, wonton, gyoza, and beef balls.
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Frequently asked questions
Hot pots usually include thinly sliced meat such as beef, pork, chicken, or lamb.
Some good ingredients for a Korean-style hot pot include mushrooms, tofu, shrimp, sliced beef or pork, and vegetables such as broccoli and leafy greens.
Essential ingredients for a Chinese hot pot include tofu, seafood, dumplings, noodles, and vegetables such as napa cabbage and bok choy.
You can either make your own broth or buy a pre-made one. Some popular options include spicy broth, clear broth, and tomato or seafood-based broths.
For a hot pot party, prepare 4 to 8 ounces of meat and seafood per person, and 2 to 3 ingredients from each food group. A big hot pot usually serves six people, but you may need more than one pot if you have more guests.
