Picture yourself with a group of people, which can be your family, friends, or strangers at a restaurant, talking and cooking. Yes, you heard it right. It is not a story out of a novel but the reality of hot pots, also known as a steamboat. 

A hot pot is a communal pot of broth (thin soup), kept on a tabletop heat source, where diners cook their own food. The roots of this communal dish go back to 1700 years ago in China. The menu involves the selection of raw ingredients like meat, leaf vegetables, mushrooms, vermicelli, sliced potatoes, bean products, egg dumplings, tofu, and seafood. 

The raw ingredients are sliced into thin pieces, and put into broth, which is brought to a boil and kept at a simmering temperature for the food to be prepared. After these pieces are cooked, for additional flavours these pieces are dipped into dipping sauces.

It is not just a dish, but an interactive and customisable dining experience in large groups. It’s a cultural journey and a customisable culinary experience that brings people together for a meal. 

Traditional hot pots of China 

Hot pot is also known as Huo Guo in Mandarin, the official language of China. China is the epicenter of hot pots and has its own regional variations. The southern-style hot pots have spicy broths and a variety of sauces. This style of hot pot focuses more on seafood, while northern-style hot pots are simple and focus more on meat, especially mutton. 

Sichuan hotpot is a representative of Sichuan cuisine and is famous for being spicy, fresh and fragrant.

Sichuan style hot pot, also known as southern-style hot pot, is a fiery concoction infused with Sichuan peppercorns and dried Sichuan peppers. In this style of hot pot, diners toss in duck, seafood, chicken, pork, lamb, and seasonal vegetables to simmer in the potent broth. 

Beijing hot pots are made of copper pots with a charcoal base

Whereas, the hot pot of Beijing is completely opposite. It is simple and the broth is usually plain and water-based. The highlight ingredient along with spring onions, ginger and mushrooms is a lamb that takes center stage in Beijing hot pot. Thin slices of the ingredients are dipped in sesame-based sauce, which is sweeter in taste. 

Hot pot variations across Asia

Love for hot pots extends beyond China, captivating palates across Asia. From Japan’s Shabu-Shabu to Thailand’s Thai Suki, hot pots are made differently as per the regional taste. 

Japan’s simplicity in a bowl

Japan’s popular hot pot, ‘Shabu-shabu’ has a summer version called ‘hiyashi shabu’ (Photo: Canva)

Shabu-Shabu is a popular hot pot dish in Japan. It features thinly sliced meat and fresh vegetables cooked in a kombu dashi broth. It also has a summer version called hiyashi shabu. This hot pot experience is a celebration of Japan’s simplicity and minimalism, offering a serene culinary journey. 

Taiwan’s fiery broth

Hot pot isn’t just a meal in Taiwan, it is a national obsession. From spicy broth to medicinal herbs, Taiwan serves a variety of hot pot experiences infused with its own culinary creativity. One can have both exciting and satisfying experiences with Taiwan’s unique creations like stinky hot pot, single-serving Shabu-Shabu and barbecue-soup combos. 

hot pot is also commonly referred to as Shabu Shabu in Taiwan because of the Japanese influence

Cambodia’s creamy hot pot

In Cambodia, Yao hon is a popular hot pot dish served with creamy and coconut milk broth, featuring a comforting array of vegetables, meat and seafood. To give it a Cambodian touch, ingredients like galangal, lemongrass and local spices are added to it. 

Thai Suki: Thailand’s vibrant flavours in a pot

‘Thai Suki’ is the Thai adaptation of the Japanese dish “Sukiyaki,” which is a hot pot style (Photo: Canva)

Thailand’s Thai Suki is different from other hot pots because of the zesty dipping sauces it is served with. It has a blend of chili sauce, lime and coriander leaves. This hot pot experience is both comforting and invigorating.

In the current era, hot pot is a trend amongst Europeans and Indians. In India, hot pot menu offers ramen, donburi and bibimbap in traditional earthen pots or Korean stone bowls. Whereas, in Europe, Switzerland offers fondue chinoise (Chinese fondue) featuring boiling meat, fish, and vegetables in a shared pot of broth with sauces and pickles. This is often served with noodles on the side.