Homeland

Since I moved to my new place in August, my friends wanted me to throw a housewarming party so that they could visit my new home. Finally, after considering everyone's schedule, we decided to invite eight close friends and organise the housewarming party on Labour Day. Traditional food indeed plays an important role in showing hospitality. Because a large group of people were coming to the party, I thought the Chinese hot pot was the best option to cater to individual preferences and eating habits. Now, I am going to elaborate on how to cook hot pot, and why it is an excellent choice for large group dining.

Chinese hot pot, also known as "huoguo" (??) in Mandarin, is a popular and interactive dining experience in Chinese cuisine. Simply put, it involves cooking a variety of thinly sliced meats, vegetables, and bean curd products such as tofu in a simmering pot. To cook the dish, a specialised hot pot cooker or a portable induction cooktop with a pot that can be placed in the centre of the table is required. Ingredients such as broth and sauce, sliced pork and beef, seafood (shrimp, fish, and squid), vegetables (mushrooms, cabbage, potatoes, and melon), tofu, noodles, and other ingredients are necessary depending on individual preferences. In terms of broth and the dipping sauce, a selection of spicy and non-spicy options needs to be set up.

Hot pot has been popular for centuries in China, and now it has spread its popularity to Western countries. My friends once told me that Chinese hot pot is a popular cuisine for college students. I think having an interactive and social experience is what makes the dish very popular. The shared cooking experience creates a sense of togetherness as everyone can cook and socialize. Moreover, hot pot offers a wide variety of ingredients, including meats, seafood, vegetables, tofu, noodles, and so on. This diversity caters to different dietary preferences. Lastly, hot pot cooking is relatively quick, saves people huge amounts of time, and improves time efficiency.