Chongqing hot pot facts for kids
Chongqing hot pot (simplified Chinese: 重庆火锅; traditional Chinese: 重慶火鍋; pinyin: Chóngqìng huǒguō) is a super spicy and fun meal from Chongqing, China. It's also called spicy hot pot. People usually eat it in restaurants.
To enjoy this dish, you cook your own food in a big pot of boiling, spicy soup. Once the food is ready, you dip it in sesame oil. This makes it taste even better! You can cook many different foods in the pot. Popular choices include beef, pork, chicken, and Chinese sausages. People also add beef strips, pig blood, and duck intestine.
What's in a Chongqing Hot Pot?
Chongqing hot pot is famous for being one of the spiciest hot pots. The secret is in its special soup base. This base is mostly red chili oil. It's made with beef fat and many different spices. Some common spices are bay leaf, clove, and cinnamon.
To make the spicy soup base, chili, beef fat, garlic, and bean paste are cooked together. They are stirred and boiled for a long time. This creates a rich and flavorful seasoning. You can put all sorts of yummy foods into the hot pot. This includes seafood, different kinds of meat, and fresh vegetables. Bean products, like tofu, are also a popular choice.
The History of Chongqing Hot Pot
The story of Chongqing hot pot began in the 1920s. It started in the Jiangbei District of Chongqing. Back then, workers on the docks needed a cheap and filling meal. They would buy leftover parts of beef, like tripe. They cleaned and boiled these pieces. Then, they cut beef liver and stomach into small bits.
These pieces were cooked in a clay stove. The stove had an iron basin divided into sections. This way, different ingredients could cook separately. When the spicy and salty soup boiled, the workers would start eating. Each person chose their own food and their own section. This made it very affordable. It wasn't until the 1930s that restaurants started serving Chongqing hot pot. Before that, it was just a simple street food.
Today, Chongqing hot pot is enjoyed all over the world. For example, a company called Liuyishou Hotpot has opened over 1,200 restaurants globally!
The Culture of Chongqing Hot Pot
Chongqing hot pot is more than just a tasty meal. It's a big part of Chongqing's food culture. Eating hot pot brings families and friends together. Everyone gathers around the steaming pot, chatting and laughing. It creates a warm and happy atmosphere. This makes it perfect for the Chinese tradition of reunion.
People even hold Chongqing hot pot Festivals! These events celebrate the dish and help people learn more about its history. In 2019, there were almost 27,000 hot pot restaurants in Chongqing alone. This shows how important it is! Chongqing hot pot is not just a food culture. It's a way of life that has been passed down for thousands of years in Chinese history.
