The Simmering Science of Hot Pot

Emperor Jiaqing served 1,550 hot pots at his coronation banquet.

Hot pot is a simmering broth cooked right on the table.

Diners dip thin slices of raw mutton or beef into the broth.

Northern hot pot styles focus on meat, particularly mutton.

Chongqing hot pot uses mala seasoning for spicy numbing flavor.

Southern styles tend to have spicy broths and complex sauces.

Yunnan locals build hot pots entirely around wild edible mushrooms.

Chaoshan beef hot pot uses clear broth made from beef bones.

Thai suki adds chili sauce, lime, and cilantro leaves as dipping sauce.

Thai suki greatly increased the number of available ingredients.

Taiwanese families follow five elements when cooking Lunar New Year hot pot.

Hot pot became globally recognized as Chinese expatriates entered the United States.

Traditional Chinese hot pot recipes use 67 different spices and condiments.

Cooked pieces are dipped into sauces for additional flavor.