Chinese Hot Pot 火锅

I’m addicted to Chinese hot pot. Most famous is the Schezuan hot pot which is extremely spicy, but regions in China having their own also. Hot pot is as it suggests a hot pot. It’s served as a broth which is boiling, and is kept at boiling on your table. All the food is also served raw and so you have to cook it yourself in the broth. It’s a very social way of eating and is very similar to fondue in Europe.


In Chinese hot pot is pronounced as huo guo (火锅) which stands for fire pot as I guess in the good old days it used to be served on top of hot coals.

Most hot pots tend to be similar with the raw meats, vegetables and sauces served, however the broth varies from region to region. You can also get a pot split into two so you can get two flavours, so why not try one spicy and one mild.

Still hungry after you’ve eaten? The broth at the end is fantastic! It’s a soup that has absorbed all the flavours from your meal. So, all of the crap, meat, and vegetable flavours are in the soup. So when you do go for a hot pot, try to save some room for the soup.

Here are a few hot pots I ate earlier :-）