Hot pot

Hot pot, and the less common Chinese fondue, refer to several East Asian varieties of stew, consisting of a simmering metal pot of stock at 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.

The Chinese hot pot boasts a history of more than 1,000 years. While often called “Mongolian hot pot”, it is unclear if the dish actually originated 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, 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 (AD 618-906). In time, regional variations developed with different ingredients such as seafood. By Qing Dynasty, hot pot had become popular throughout most of China. Today in many modern homes, particularly in big cities, the traditional coal-heated hot pot has been replaced by electric, gas or electromagnetic cooker versions.

Because hot pot styles change so much from region, many different ingredients are used.