Hot pot , refers to several East Asian varieties of stew, consisting of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meat, leaf vegetables,mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, and seafood. Vegetables, fish and meat should be fresh. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce. In many areas, hot pot meals are often eaten in the winter during supper time.
One of the most famous variations is the Chongqing (Chungking) má là hot pot, to which Sichuan pepper huā jiāo “flower pepper is added. Combined with spicy ingredients like chili, it creates a sensation on the tongue that is both spicy and burns and numbs slightly, almost like carbonated beverages. It is usual to use a variety of different meats as well as sliced mutton fillet. A Chongqing hotpot is markedly different from the types eaten in other parts of China. Quite often the differences lie in the meats used, the type of soup base, and the sauces and condiments used to flavor the meat. “má là huǒ guō” could be used to distinguish from simply “huǒ guō” in cases when people refer to the “Northern Style Hot Pot” in China. Instant-boiled mutton could be viewed as representative of this kind of food, which does not focus on the soup base.
In neighbouring Yunnan, spicy broths are equally popular and wild ingredients figure more prominently, particularly mushrooms.
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