Hot pot - Definition

Hot pot is the name of a number of different meat dishes served warm. The best known internationally is an interactive Asian dish consists of a simmering pot of water at the center of the dining table. A small gas or electric stove keeps the pot simmering. The diners place raw food into the pot and cook the food themselves. Typically chosen food include thinly sliced meat, leafy vegtables, mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, and seafood. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce. Ths kind of meal is also referred to as shabu shabu ("bubble bubble").

Variations

The Manchurian hot pot uses plenty of Chinese sauerkraut to make the pot's stew sour. In the Taiwanese hot pot, people eat the food with a dipping sauce consisting of sacha sauce and raw egg. The use of thinly sliced livestock meat in hot pot probably originated from the nomadic Mongolians. The Korean variation has a mini-grill next to the pot that is used to grill the meat.

Chinese New Year

Hot pot is traditionally eaten as part of the Chinese New Year feast. The roundness of the pot symbolizes the unity of the family.

British hot pot

The dish referred to as "hot pot" (or "hotpot") in Britain is quite different, frequently found listed amongst the usual pub grub dishes. It is primarily a casserole of lamb, kidneys and root vegetables such as carrots, turnip and onions or leeks, covered with a layer of sliced potatoes. For more information, refer to Lancashire Hotpot.