How to Enjoy the Perfect Hotpot

[erbener]

Every Westerner who lands on Chinese shores for the first time has a host of treats to look forward to. Whether it's a hike up the Great Wall, a trip to the Terra Cotta Warriors, or a cruise down the Yangtze River, visitors will have no end of ''firsts'' to enjoy. But for many, their first experience with authentic Chinese food will be the one that truly blows their minds - and mouths - away.

Enter the hotpot. As a long time ex-pat in China, I'd advise you to leave the Peking Duck or the Gongbao Jiding (Kung Po Chicken) till later, and instead enjoy a culinary baptism of fire over this spicy treat.

This meal originated in Sichuan Province, a place where they rarely hold back on the chilli. Restaurants in the nearby municipality of Chongqing claim to serve the hottest hotpot in the land, but in truth, you can find plenty-hot versions of this delicious dish all over the country.

If you are interested in this topic, please go to echinacities.com for the whole article!

[Scott.chen]

Hehe,the hotpot...mmmh, my most favorite. I feel uncomfortable without a hotpot meal at least once a week.

I once read an article about the origin of Hotpot.

Story had it that in the late Qing dynasty, Chongqing has already been an important dock at the upper reach of Yangtze river.Cargos from Sichuan were shipped from this dock.Hence,there were groups of porters living on delivering goods from the bank onto the ship.Sometimes, they had to wait for a job in the nights. They suffered a lot in the winter nights since it was freezingly cold along the river bund.Fortunately, there was slaughterhouse nearby the dock.Inner organs of the klled bulls were threw out from the slaughterhouse.Some floated down the river.The porters picked them up and washed them then boiled them with chili. By this way, they ran the cold away.But later, they found they could not eat the food over at one time when the job came and it turned cold when they came back from the work. Then, they seeked a good way out that is to burn the pot underneath to keep the soup boiled.This is the origination of the hotpot.

Later by later, people added more and more ingredients into the hotpot soup.Till now, the hotpot have develped into a series dishes but there is one thing that is always kept, the butter soup.The authentic hotpot will still offer some inner organs of the bulls.

If there are some friends come to Chengdu, you can contact me by: china-tour-expert@hotmail.com and I will show you the good hotpot restaurants.