Hot pot is considered a meal consisting of a pot of seasoned broth or soup on a heat source that is placed on the table. Various arrangements of ingredients such as meats, vegetables, roots, and noodles are prepared beforehand as well, usually placed around the pot. The fun part of hotpot is that you and your family or friends can dip the ingredient that you wish to eat into the simmering soup base, until it is cooked to your liking and ready to eat. At hotpot, there is no specific set of ingredients that has to be eaten everytime. You can mix and match any type of hotpot ingredient you enjoy eating.
Hot Pot Materials
Hot pot materials you will need include a medium sized steel pot with preferably a divider if you have two flavors of broth, pot strainers scoops to retrieve the simmering ingredients, an heat source (usually, we use tabletop gas stoves or induction stoves), utensils, bowls, hot pot sauces, and your desired ingredients.
Meat and Seafood
Meat and seafood are typical hotpot staples. Pork, chicken, and beef are all eaten at hotpot as well as fish balls, fish slices, shrimp, shellfish, and more.
Vegetables
Common vegetables eaten in hot pot include bok choy, watercress, various mushrooms such as enoki mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms, lettuce, lotus root, spinach, siu choi/napa cabbages, and other leafy greens.
Tofu and Noodles
Tofu is a favorite in hot pot, for the soft squares that balance the flavors of the broth and the ingredients together. Noodles are also eaten with the various foods because they are filling and easy to cook. There are different types of noodles that are usually eaten with hot pot, including udon noodles, glass noodles and more.
SOUP BASE
There are many types of broths or soups that can be used as a base for the hot pot. These soups can be savoury or spicy, or even sweet. Many of these bases are usually homecooked or from packages, containing seasonings as well.
