How to Enjoy Chinese Hot Pot: Medicinal Spices, Dual Broths & Flavorful Toppings
Hugely popular among women, Chinese hot pot is a sizzling local dish from China. You enjoy it by adding your favorite ingredients—meat, seafood, vegetables, and more—into a bubbling pot of flavorful broth. This time, we visited the specialty restaurant Syaofeiyan to learn the proper way to enjoy authentic Chinese hot pot.
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【Advised by】Chinese Hot Pot Syaofeiyan
Table of Contents
What is Chinese Hot Pot?
There are various theories about the origin of hot pot, but it is believed to have originated in China about 3,000 years ago. During the Three Kingdoms period, it was said to be a staple dish at royal banquets. Today, the hot pot enjoyed across China varies by region, with different ingredients and soup bases.
The version most commonly found in Japan is known as “medicinal hot pot,” where lamb is cooked in a broth made with dozens of Chinese medicinal herbs. Lamb is rich in vitamins and is less likely to turn into fat, making it ideal for those concerned about health and dieting.
Benefits of Medicinal Spices
The hot pot broth contains dozens of medicinal spices, including garlic, jujube, codonopsis root, galangal, longan, and goji berries.
Garlic | Relieves fatigue, improves circulation, relieves constipation
Jujube | Prevents anemia, improves skin, reduces stress
Codonopsis root | Aids appetite, improves cold extremities, eases shortness of breath
Galangal | Relieves indigestion, reduces nausea, aids digestion
Longan | Promotes relaxation, improves sleep
Goji berries | Enhances vision, boosts immunity, improves skin
Each medicinal spice has health and beauty benefits.
People in ancient China may have maintained their health by regularly eating hot pot.
Choose Your Soup
In Chinese hot pot, you usually choose between two types of broth: a mild chicken-based white soup (paitan), and a spicy numbing mala soup made with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. The best way to enjoy hot pot is to try both broths at once. Mala soup comes in three levels of spiciness—mild, medium, and hot—and we tried the medium one this time.
Once the pot arrives, turn on the heat and bring the soup to a boil. As the name “hot pot” suggests, it’s important to keep the broth bubbling. The steam releases the fragrance of the spices and stimulates your appetite!
Add the Lamb
Once the soup is boiling, take a slice of lamb and swish it in the broth. Because it’s thinly sliced, it cooks very quickly.
The flavorful broth helps eliminate the gamey smell of lamb, allowing you to enjoy its rich taste fully.
Add the Ingredients
After enjoying the meat, start adding vegetables and other ingredients to the pot. Toss in cabbage, tofu, wood ear mushrooms, and more. As the ingredients pile up, the pot becomes more colorful and festive.
Add More Meat
After the vegetables, it’s time to add more lamb.
Having two kinds of broth means you can alternate between spicy and mild flavors—what a treat!
Change Up the Flavor with Dipping Sauces
Once you’ve enjoyed the hot pot to your heart’s content, it’s time for some “flavor change” using dipping sauces.
This time, we ordered three popular sauces: sesame sauce, garlic sesame oil, and chopped cilantro.
We tried pouring sesame sauce over the mala soup side. The added richness and aroma of sesame transformed it into a flavor reminiscent of tantan noodles!
Adding cilantro on top of the sesame sauce gave it an instant ethnic twist.
We added garlic sesame oil to the white soup for an extra kick. We didn’t hold back with the garlic—who cares about your next appointment!
Finish with Noodles and Rice
The piping hot soup and medicinal spices warm both body and soul, and just when you think you’re done… there’s still the final course!
After finishing the meat and veggies, finish off the meal with noodles and rice!
Before adding noodles and rice, remove all remaining ingredients and herbs from the pot, and pour in some fresh broth.
Once the pot is clear and filled with broth, it’s time to add the finishing touches.
We recommend putting the extra noodles into the mala soup and the rice into the white soup.
Being able to enjoy two different finishes in one meal—this is what makes Chinese hot pot so special.
You can even crack an egg into the rice side and turn it into a porridge for a comforting finish.
Of course, feel free to top everything with your favorite dipping sauces.
At this point, there’s just no stopping your appetite!
Despite its dramatic appearance, Chinese hot pot is surprisingly healthy. So the next time you get a chance, enjoy both soup flavors, experiment with dipping sauces, and try all the delicious ways to finish your meal!
A renowned Chinese hot pot specialty restaurant with 21 locations nationwide. The hot pot is prepared by certified "hot pot masters" who blend dozens of traditional medicinal herbs into the broth. Using carefully selected ingredients and premium lamb, this authentic hot pot has become especially popular among women.
*The information is based on the time of reporting or creation, and may differ from the current situation.
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