The origin and history of hot pot are as follows:

Hot pot is one of the traditional cooking methods in China, with a long history and rich cultural connotations. Hot pot originated in the southwest of China, which can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period more than two thousand years before BC.

Hot pot first appeared in Bashu area, then it was called "listing", which means putting all kinds of ingredients in a copper pot to cook. According to the research of archaeologists, as early as the Warring States period in the fifth century BC, there were records of using hot pot in Bashu area. According to legend, the diet in Bashu area during the Warring States Period was very particular. People liked to cook all kinds of ingredients in copper pots with various seasonings, which formed a unique cooking method and gradually evolved into the current hot pot.

Hot pot was further developed and popularized in the Tang Dynasty. Scholars in the Tang Dynasty like to drink and enjoy tea in winter. In order to keep warm, they put a big pot in the center for people to share. Everyone cook the meat and cooks at the pot. Everyone enjoys delicious food around the pot and chats while drinking. This has also become a social form. At this time, the hot pot gradually evolved into a food with unique cultural connotation.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, hot pot has become an important food culture, and it has developed different flavors in different places. For example, Sichuan's hot pot is famous for its spicy taste, with bean paste, pepper, etc., which tastes spicy and delicious; Chongqing's hot pot is mainly hot, with a wide range of materials and unique taste.

Yunnan's hot pot pays attention to lightness and the addition of herbs, while Guangdong's hot pot takes delicious seafood as the main ingredient. The local hot pot has different flavors and cooking methods, which reflects the diversity and regional characteristics of China's traditional food culture.

With the passage of time, hot pot has been widely spread and accepted in China and even around the world. Nowadays, hot pot has become one of the representatives of China's characteristic catering culture, and enjoys a worldwide reputation. It is not only a delicious food, but also a way of reunion and communication, which brings people closer together.

Hot pot originated in Bashu area of China, and was used in the Warring States Period. After the development of the Tang Dynasty and the prosperity of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it formed different flavors and cultural connotations in different places. As a cooking method with a long history, hot pot not only represents the richness and diversity of traditional food culture in China, but also reflects people's pursuit of food and social interaction.