Origins of Hot Pot.

What is Hot Pot?

What is the rave about “Hot Pot” that is ongoing around the world? 

“Hot pot” is also known as huǒguō (火锅), literally translated to ‘fire pot’. This is what everyone is saying, or is currently associated to “Steamboat” or a.k.a (打邊爐) dǎbiānlú.

It has a history of more than 1,000 years, and China is regarded as the home of the hotpot. It started when the Mongols overran China, Mongolian horsemen, who were nomads and accustomed to eating whatever they found in their travels, would use their overturned metal helmets as pots, fill them with water, and heat them over flames adding different ingredients like meat and vegetables. As they coursed through the mainland, they would create their own dishes by adding local ingredients where they find them.

From Mongolia to China, from Japan to Korea, and across Asia, hotpot has now become a common style of eating – various regions and countries using different ingredients and broths, and have developed their own distinct hotpot styles. Many styles but all have their distinct taste and methods of eating.

Hot Pot (Mainland China - Mala)

You may hear of various types of hot pot but similar eating style:

1. Shabu-Shabu (Japan)
2. Nabemono (Japan)
3. Sukiyaki (Japan)
4. Yao hon (យ៉ាវហន) (Cambodia)
5. Mookata (Thailand)
6. Budaejjigae (Korea)

Using the same method of having a soup-based, heat source, and various meat, vegetables, and dipping sauce - everyone has created various soup-based dishes that could be mind-blowing or weird to some people. Listing down a few, soup combinations (weird or smack on delicious) aside from the common soup-based (Clear Soup, Mala, Tom Yum, Soy Sauce, Kimchi).

1. Bubble Tea Hot Pot
2. Beauty Collagen Broth
3. Coconut Chicken
4. Congee Hot Pot

So what is your take on Hot Pot? Can “Hot Pot” take over the food industry? Which cuisine can take it to the next level? Can you have a fusion of “hot pot” where you use Mainland China ingredients to be cooked with Shabu-Shabu style? Mala flavor Mookata?