The Dish of the month- January 2011
Hot Pot (火锅 huǒ guō)
Hot pot ( 火锅; pinyin: huǒ guō), 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, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, and seafood. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce. In many areas, hot pot meals are often eaten in the winter.
Hot Pot used to be favored only in winter, but recently Hot Pot also appears on tables in other seasons. Some people especially like eating it in summer, sitting in front of a fire with an air-conditioner working behind and saying it couldn't have been better!
The pot is made of brass with a wide outer rim around a chimney in which the charcoal burns to heat the soup. When the soup is boiling, dinners dip thin slices of frozen raw meat in the soup where it gets quick boiled and then put them into a kind of sauce like sesame or soy sauce, chili oil, and vinegar. The meat can be beef, mutton, chicken, fish, prawn, lots of things but not pork if you are in an Islamic restaurant. Vegetables such as mushrooms, bean curds can be quick boiled as well. Of course, you can also try whatever you like.
History
The Chinese hot pot boasts a history of more than 1000 years. While often called "Mongolian hot pot", it is unclear if the dish actually originates in Mongolia. Mongol warriors had been known to cook with their helmets, which they used to boil food, but due to the complexity and specialization of the utensils and the method of eating it, hot pot cooking is much better suited to a sedentary culture. A nomadic household will avoid such highly specialized tools, to save volume and weight during migration. Both the preparation method and the required equipment are unknown in the cuisine of Mongolia of today.
Hot pot cooking seems to have spread to northern China during the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-906). In time, regional variations developed with different ingredients such as seafood. By the Qing Dynasty, the hot pot became popular throughout most of China. Today in many modern homes, particularly in the big cities, the traditional coal-heated steamboat or hot pot has been replaced by electric, gas or induction cooker versions.
Cooking method
Hot pot with grill surrounding it Frozen meat is sliced deli-thin to prepare it for hot pot cooking. Slicing frozen meat this way causes it to roll up during cooking, and it is often presented as such. Meats used include lamb, beef, chicken, duck, mutton and others. The cooking pot is often sunk into the table and fueled by propane, or alternatively is above the table and fueled by a portable butane gas stove or hot coals. Meat or vegetables are loaded individually into the hot cooking broth by chopsticks, and cooking time is brief. Meat often only takes 15 to 30 seconds to cook.
There are often disagreements between different styles of hot pot enthusiasts. Some like to place items into the hot pot at a relaxed, leisurely pace, enjoying the cooking process, while others prefer to throw everything in at once and wait for the hotpot to return to a boil.
Chinese Hot Pot Dipping Sauces
Each guest should be given a small bowl in which to prepare his own dipping sauce. The dipping sauce can be a simple combination of soy sauce, sesame paste, and a dash of chili oil It's common to dip the cooked food into the dipping sauce to add seasoning and more flavor to the food.
• Soy sauce
• Sesame paste
• Sesame oil
• Chili oil
• Minced green onions
• Coriander / Cilantro (or xiāng cài)
• Chive flower paste (韭菜花酱)
• Pickled tofu (腐乳)
