Hot Pot-Pourri

By Wendy Chan 

Among the many Chinese cuisines and cooking styles, the hot pot is perhaps a social and gastronomical event that is interesting, fun and hearty. But specialty restaurants designed to have these table hot pots are still relatively confined to ethnic neighborhoods. So if you want to try one, make sure you check out such enclaves.

The more popular ones these days are Sichuan spicy hot pot, or “ma la” style. Typically, it is communal cooking much like shabu shabu or even Korean barbeque, by which friends and family in the party dip whatever raw meat or vegetables or noodles they wish to eat right into the pot of boiling spicy broth kept boiling through the meal at the table. The broth is usually a soup base prepared in advance inside the kitchen, with every restaurant offering some slightly different variation. The ma la style has chili, Sichaun pepper and chili oil.

With tolerance of heat varying from person to person, the clever compound pot with a split between spicy and non-spicy has emerged. So you can still enjoy the meal together with someone fond of tongue-numbing spiciness even if you’re not that into hot food.

There are many variations of hot pot, and during my recent trip to Beijing, I experienced one that is touting a soup stock base which is even good for health. At this famous chain restaurant called Little Fat Sheep, we ordered this soup base with a collection of traditional herbs – ginger, ginseng, gojiberries, Chinese yam, dried longan and a long list of good-for-you medicinal ingredients. Instead of evoking the unpleasant smell of some Chinese medicine, this soup has a beautiful aroma.

Apart from ordering portions of marbled lamb, an assortment of seasonal vegetables, tofu and delicious handmade noodles I was very delighted to order a plate of marrow, something not quite available back home.

The soup base improves with “age”, as when more meat and vegetables are dunked into it, the more flavorful it becomes. What a great feeling to know that I have enjoyed a hearty meal and what I ate was actually good for my body.Want more New Asian Cuisine? Visit our website and sign up for our monthly e-newsletter!