What is Chinese Hot Pot, And How Is It Prepared? Everything You Need to Know About This Ritual of Sharing

A pot of hot, fragrant, steaming broth in the center of the table, various ingredients to cook according to the diners' preferences, and lots of sauces or gravies to enrich them: this is the Chinese hot pot, also known as huǒguō or fondue chinoise. Originally from Northern China, the hot pot is now widespread not only throughout the country, but also in many other areas of Asia, with the necessary variations. Here's everything you need to know about this specialty that is halfway between a recipe in constant evolution and a cooking method: something that has given rise to a real ritual of sharing.

Where Does The Hot Pot Come From, and What is Its Symbolic Meaning?

It is not, as we were saying, "just" a dish, but a series of practices that become tradition and sharing: the hot pot is a way to gather friends and family around the same table, discussing the food that is about to be consumed and the ways in which it will be consumed.

But when was hot pot born? Its origins are not very clear. It seems that this method was already widespread in some areas of the country at the time of the Jin dynasty (265–420 AD) and that it was spread in particular by the raids of the Mongol knights: these, during the conquests, used the emetto to prepare the hot broth and consume it. It was however with the Tang dynasty (618-906 AD) that this ritual spread to the North of China and from there to the rest of the country, especially during the Qing dynasty.

This specialty has given rise to a series of preparations that have spread elsewhere: for example,  Japanese shabu shabu (but also sukiyaki), Thai suki, and Vietnamese lẩu. It is said that even court bouillon was inspired by hot pot, although we have no clear evidence of this.

How is Hot Pot Made?

The hot pot is a ritual that requires the presence of at least one hot broth, which continues to cook in a large pot placed in the center of the table: underneath a small stove, usually gas, feeds the pot, or pots steaming. On the table, all around the stove, a series of raw ingredients are placed – meat, fish, vegetables, noodles, rice and so on – that each diner can cook as they prefer: they can lightly sear them, or decide to cook them for a long time. Finally, once the ingredient is cooked, it is dipped in one of the sauces present and then enjoyed. The continuous immersion of the products in the broth enriches their taste and aromatic profile.

"Classic" hot pots can be divided into three types: the first involves a lightly flavored soup in which the food is cooked on the spot, typically mutton. The second type has a pot with broth and food already cooking: here the flame is used to keep the food warm and to cook the vegetables, which are added by the diners; in this pot, shrimp, venison, chicken and fish are usually cooked, while the vegetables are chosen by the diner; finally, the third type involves the entire cooking of both the meat and the vegetables before the pot is served. The condiments typically used are soy sauce, garlic, shallots, eggs, sesame oil and chili pepper.

Regional Variations of Hot Pot

Once widespread in a country as large and diverse as China, hot pot has multiplied into a series of regional variations, which in turn are modified from area to area. We could roughly summarize it like this:

• Pork hot pot. Popular especially in Northeast China, this is a fish-based soup in which noodles, pork and mostly acidic ingredients are cooked, then seasoned with garlic and soy sauce.
• Pork Belly Hot Pot. Typical of Sichuan, the broth is made with chicken giblets in which pork belly is soaked and seasoned with bean sprouts.
• Mutton hot pot. A traditional Beijing dish, it is a meat-based broth in which strips of mutton are cooked. The condiments generally used after cooking are vinegar, chili oil, sesame oil, soy sauce and doubanjiang, a fermented spicy sauce made from soybeans.
• Guangdong seafood hot pot. The broth base is seafood, but mostly chicken or beef is cooked inside, usually accompanied by mushrooms and vegetables.
• Hunan Hot Pot. A mountainous province in Southern China, this is a spicy hot pot where ingredients such as fish, chicken, rabbit or noodles are cooked and lightly sautéed in rice wine.
• Yunnan Dian Hot Pot. In this case, it is a province located in the southwest of China, where fresh vegetables, beef, pork, fish, chicken and mushrooms are added to the meat broth base.
• Hangzhou Chrysanthemum Hot Pot. The base is a chicken broth in which meat or fish are dipped; but its peculiarity lies in the chrysanthemum leaves, which are cooked in the broth after being well washed and give the dish a unique aroma.
• Taiwanese satay hot pot. Popular especially on the island of Taiwan, it includes a meat broth where various types of ingredients are cooked, especially meat but also vegetables, then seasoned with soy sauce and barbecue sauce.

Hot Pot Vs. Hotpot: One and The Same?

Though both hot pots and crockpots bring comfort food to the table, they couldn’t be more different in purpose and style. A hot pot is a communal dining experience originating from Asia, where diners cook raw ingredients like thinly sliced meats, veggies, and noodles in a bubbling pot of flavorful broth right at the table. It’s interactive, quick, and all about variety. A crockpot, on the other hand, is an American slow cooker designed for set-it-and-forget-it meals. It simmers ingredients over several hours, creating hearty dishes like stews, roasts, or chili with minimal effort. While a hot pot is all about speed and participation, a crockpot is the epitome of low-and-slow convenience.