{"id":13941,"date":"2017-12-18T09:00:20","date_gmt":"2017-12-18T13:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=13941"},"modified":"2017-12-07T10:46:01","modified_gmt":"2017-12-07T14:46:01","slug":"warm-up-with-chinese-hot-pot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/warm-up-with-chinese-hot-pot\/","title":{"rendered":"Warm Up with Chinese Hot Pot"},"content":{"rendered":"

Winter is in coming, and temperatures are falling fast. This is especially true in the northern part of China \u2013 it\u2019s already hovering around 0 degrees Celsius in Beijing<\/a> and it\u2019s far, far below zero in the provincial capital of Harbin<\/a>. Coupled with the awful air pollution, this can lead to a serious sense of winter depression. When it hurts to step outside, and you can practically chew the air, nothing looks better than crawling back into bed. Luckily, there\u2019s something that will warm you right up on even the coldest days. No, I\u2019m not talking about\u00a0bai jiu<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(\u767d\u9152 \u2013 b\u00e1i ji\u01d4); I\u2019m talking about\u00a0hot pot<\/strong>\u00a0(\u706b\u9505 \u2013 hu\u01d2 gu\u014d). This communal dining experience is tons of fun, and it\u2019s sure to cure your winter blues, at least temporarily.<\/p>\n

Origins<\/h2>\n
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Cook your own dinner at hot pot. Photo by Sasha Savinov<\/p><\/div>\n

There is much debate in China about the origins of hot pot. Some say it made its way into the Middle Kingdom from\u00a0Mongolia<\/strong>\u00a0(\u8499\u53e4 \u2013 m\u00e9ng g\u01d4), some insist it comes from Sichuan provinc<\/a>e, while even others claim it\u2019s a northern China thing. While we may never know exactly where it all started, hot pot has been a staple in the Chinese diet for about a thousand years, and it only gets more and more popular as time goes on.<\/p>\n

Regional Varieties<\/h2>\n
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Numb and spicy Sichuan hot pot.<\/p><\/div>\n

Of course, each region of China has its own style of hot pot. Perhaps the most famous is the version found in Chongqing and Sichuan. Known as \u201cnumb and spicy<\/strong>\u201d (\u9ebb\u8fa3 \u2013 m\u00e1 l\u00e0), the liberal use of\u00a0Sichuan peppercorns<\/strong>\u00a0(\u82b1\u6912 \u2013 hu\u0101 ji\u0101o) and other chillies make it an intense dining experience. Up in the north, you\u2019re sure to find plenty of\u00a0picked vegetables<\/strong>\u00a0(\u9178\u83dc \u2013 su\u0101n c\u00e0i), and in coastal regions there\u2019s likely to be more\u00a0seafood<\/strong>\u00a0(\u6d77\u9c9c \u2013 h\u01cei xi\u0101n). It\u2019s hard to go wrong with hot pot, and trying it out in different areas of China ensures a slightly different experience each time.<\/p>\n

A Night of Hot Pot<\/h2>\n
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A table full of yummy ingredients.<\/p><\/div>\n

To give you more of an idea about the hot pot experience, here\u2019s what a typical night out in a restaurant that serves it is like:<\/p>\n

First, you sit down at your table and choose your broth. Many hot pot restaurants come equipped with pots that have a divider in the middle so you can choose two styles. The idea here is to get one that is spicy and one that isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Next up, you peruse the menu and order up your favorite ingredients. For a typical hot pot meal, you may get: lamb, potatoes, mushrooms, cabbage, glass noodles, and small dumplings. Of course, there are tons of options, so get creative!<\/p>\n

Once your order is in, you set about making your dipping sauce. The main ingredient here is a kind of\u00a0sesame paste<\/strong>\u00a0(\u9ebb\u9171 \u2013 m\u00e1 ji\u00e0ng), to which you\u2019re free to add a variety of things, such as: garlic, chili oil, green onions, coriander, and so on.<\/p>\n

When your plates of food arrive and the broth starts boiling, it\u2019s time to get cooking. Hot pot is a very social meal, so get some beers and chat while you wait.<\/p>\n

After a big meal of hot pot and a few drinks, you\u2019ll forget about the whole winter thing that is going on outside. That is, of course, until you eventually have to leave the restaurant and head back out into the bitter cold. Maybe you\u2019d better pick up a bottle of\u00a0bai jiu<\/em>\u00a0after all.<\/p>\n