火 huǒ fire, 锅 guō pot，火锅 huǒguō, hot pot, is a traditional dish in China. As mentioned by its name, the pot should be burningly hot to cook all raw aliments during the whole meal. It is one of the most popular dishes in China.
火锅 huǒguō，hot pot，has more than 2000-year history in China，according to some people, even more than 5000 years. Anyway, it has been really popular since Tang （618-907）and Song （960-1279） Dynasties. The picture hereunder is showing an ancient hot pot.
Inside the 火锅 huǒguō, hot pot, there are bouillons of different flavours, with which everyone around the table can cook whatever he desires to eat. Usually people prepare their own sauces to go along with the food. In China, each region has its special hot pot. Northern people love lamb for warming up the long Winter, while Southern people appreciate seafood for its freshness from the ocean. The most famous one must be the very spicy 四川 火锅 sìchuān huǒguō， which makes really everyone on fire.
Chinese people love Hot Pot, because it is convivial; because everyone has the old memory of sharing the warmness with his family, his friends around a 火锅 huǒguō; and because according to a Chinese proverb, “There is nothing that can't be solved by a hot pot! 没有什么是一顿火锅不能解决的 méiyǒu shénme shì yī dùn huǒguō bù néng jiějué de !” Let's try!
List of famous hot pot restaurants you might find in your town :
- 海底捞 hǎi dǐ lāo HaiDiLao (Sichuan hot pot)
- 小尾羊 xiǎo wéi yáng Little Sheep (lamb hot pot)
- 御宝火锅 Yùbǎo huǒguō Imperial Treasure Steamboat （seafood hot pot）
Xiao Ling and Lao Long will explain more details in the following video.