Mala Tang is a street snack, and its form is roughly the same as that of the fried stalls on the streets of Nanchang, but its cooking method is different. Put a big pot on the stove, and put all kinds of skewered chicken offal, beef offal, small intestine and large intestine, as well as all kinds of fish balls, meatballs, pink balls, dried tofu and so on; Add boiling soup stock to the pot, and then, you can apply various seasonings at will, such as spicy hemp, spicy hemp, spicy spicy, cheap price and different tastes, commonly known as "street mala Tang". \x0d\ 1。 What is hot pot? \x0d\ Hotpot usually refers to the container used to cook food. At the earliest, there were clay pots and jars, then there were bronze pots and iron pans, and now there are stainless steel. However, modern people only refer to scalding food. \x0d\ Hot pot was called "Bone East Soup" in ancient times, and it was named because it made a "splash" sound when it was put into boiling water. Hot pot is a unique food created by ancient people in China. It has a long history and was very popular in the Tang Dynasty. "Hot pot" prevailed in China at the end of 18. During the Qianlong period, Qianlong visited Jiangnan several times, because Emperor Qianlong liked drinking, writing poems and eating hot pot. Everywhere he went, people prepared hot pots for his accompanying officials. Since then, hot pot has been very popular in both the north and the south. When Emperor Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty ascended the throne, he held a grand hot pot banquet called "Thousand Festivals", which used more than 1500 hot pots. The scale was amazing! However, what is even more amazing is the first international hot pot festival held in Chongqing from June 5438 to October 2004. It is said that there are more than 2,000 tables in the main venue of Nanbin Road in Chongqing, and as many as tens of thousands of people enjoy hot pot at the same time. Its appearance, scale and wonderful degree are probably unparalleled in the world today. \x0d\ 2。 Where is the origin of hot pot? \x0d\ There is a story that the appearance of hot pot originated from a careless primitive man who accidentally dropped raw meat into boiling water. When the meat he was regretting suddenly fell out of his mouth, the thick meat in the pot went straight into his nostrils. From then on, he put them in the "hot pot" and rinsed them. Thus, this man became the inventor of hot pot. It is said that this man was a member of the nomadic people in the north at that time. Of course, legend belongs to legend, but there is no doubt that hot pot originated in northern China. First of all, Chinese civilization originated in the Yellow River valley, where it was very cold in ancient times, and people had to use fire to keep out the cold. Secondly, at that time, primitive people (ancients) mainly fished and hunted. When they cook and eat, Biju can increase his strength, energy and wisdom by drinking blood. About 10 thousand years ago, our ancestors invented the earliest container-the pot made of pottery, which is a very big pot. At that time, everything that could be eaten (mainly meat) was thrown into a tripod, and then a fire was made at the bottom to cook the food and become a big pot of food. This may be the earliest hot pot. \x0d\ Some people say that Chongqing Hotpot originated in Sichuan or Chongqing because it is the most famous in China, which is not true. \x0d\ III。 Where is the origin of Chongqing hot pot? \x0d\ Chongqing hot pot is the most famous in China, but where did Chongqing hot pot originate? \x0d\ The first person to introduce Chongqing hot pot was Sichuan writer Li Jie. 1947, he wrote in the magazine of local customs that "the hot pot for eating buffalo hairy belly originated in Jiangbei, Chongqing. At first, it was bought by a vendor who usually carried the burden to sell buffalo bellies, washed and cooked them, then cut the liver and stomach into small pieces, put a mud stove on his shoulder and put a big iron basin on the stove. A spicy and salty gravy rolled upside down in the basin, and friends who sell labor on the riverside bridge generally benefited from this burden. Everyone thinks that eating a grid and eating a few pieces is economical and can increase calories. It was not until 23 years of the Republic of China that a small restaurant in Chongqing upgraded it. It moved from the bear's head to the table, and the mud stove stayed. It's just that the iron pan of the dry pot is replaced by a small copper pot, and the marinade and the dipping sauce are also changed to the coordination of the diners themselves, so that it is clean and suitable for the tastes of Chongqing people. " \x0d\ It was also written that Chaotianmen, where Chongqing's two rivers (Yangtze River and Jialing River) flow, was originally a place where Muslims slaughtered cattle. After slaughtering cattle, Muslims only want their meat, bones and skins, but throw away their internal organs. Sailors and trackers on the shore picked them up, washed them, poured them into the pot, and cooked them with spicy things such as pepper, pepper, ginger, garlic and salt. So the hot pot in Chongqing originated from Chaotianmen Wharf. However, whether in Jiangbei or Chaotianmen in Chongqing, it is an indisputable fact that Chongqing hot pot originated from riverside and wharf. \x0d\ IV。 What are the characteristics of Chongqing hot pot? \x0d\ Ma This is the most distinctive hot pot in Chongqing. The reason why it is hemp is because a lot of peppers are added to the hot pot. Chongqing people are willing to eat hemp because of their geographical environment. Chongqing is located at the bottom of Sichuan Basin, with few sunshine, foggy, rainy and humid. Eating more peppers is good for removing moisture. \x0d\ spicy, there is no doubt about it. Chongqing people love to eat spicy food, which is related to the character of Chongqing people in addition to the climatic reasons mentioned above. Chongqing was called Bazhong and Bazhong in ancient times. Ba people are brave and strong, and they are not afraid of spicy food to show men's heroism. \x0d\ fresh, if Chongqing people are rough in other aspects, they are subtle and exquisite in diet. As the saying goes, "Fish should eat well, chicken should eat well", that is, all raw materials must be fresh and seasonings must be rich, in order to bring out a good taste, fresh and refreshing. Not only can Chinese food be cooked well, but the refreshing method of Chinese food should also be fully applied to hot pot. \x0d\ incense, hot pot bottom material fried with fine fire. Although the raw materials are relatively simple, the frying process and heat are not sloppy at all. Be sure to stir-fry the original flavor, so as not to stop there, or you will be laughed at by your peers. In recent years, with the diversified requirements of hot pot diners, Chongqing hot pot began to study seasonings. Natural spices are added to the hot pot to increase the flavor of the hot pot, which is more popular with diners. \x0d\ In a word, Chongqing hot pot is good at being spicy, delicious, refined and mellow, with many varieties and good blending, leading the country. \ x0d \ v. What kinds of hot pots are there in Chongqing? \x0d\ Chongqing hot pot in terms of cooking principle, in fact, there are only two kinds: one is full red soup spicy hot pot; One is broth hotpot. Yuanyang hot pot is to pour all two kinds of soup into a pot, separated by a piece of metal. The above hot pot varieties are the most basic forms of expression. \x0d\ Due to the requirements of customers and the thinking of chefs, ever-changing hot pot varieties are derived from this. \x0d\ For example, the red soup pot can evolve into: beef omasum hot pot, eel hot pot, duck intestine hot pot, blood-filled hot pot and so on. \x0d\ Clear soup hotpot can be evolved into pigeon hotpot, turtle hotpot, pickled fish hot pot hotpot, bamboo shoot hotpot, mutton hotpot, assorted hotpot and so on. \x0d\ If you have to ask how many kinds there are, I'm afraid even the immortals can't tell you clearly. Chongqing hot pot changes too fast, too rich. \x0d\ VI。 What are the raw materials of hot pot dishes? \x0d\ Hot pot dishes have a wide range of raw materials, and all the commonly used raw materials can be used as hot pot raw materials, but the quality requirements are high. Vegetables should be fresh, fish should be fresh, and there should be no peculiar smell or deterioration, because hot pot dishes should be fresh and the heating time should be short. Commonly used raw materials mainly include: \x0d\ livestock meat: mutton, beef, pork, ham, lunch meat, bacon, sausage, pig enema, kidney, liver heart, liver tendon, bullwhip, pig intestine, pig brain flower, pig spinal cord and so on. \x0d\ Poultry meat: chicken, duck, goose, chicken wings, chicken blood, duck blood, intestines, gizzard, liver, chicken feet, duck feet, etc. \x0d\ Aquatic products: crucian carp, grass carp, carp, eel, loach, river crab, river shrimp, sea crab, sea shrimp, sea cucumber, cuttlefish, fish maw, fish lip, shark fin, fresh shellfish, hairtail and kelp. \x0d\ Vegetables: Chinese cabbage, spinach, pea seedlings, lettuce, cabbage, potato, lotus root, water bamboo, winter bamboo shoots, spring bamboo shoots, white radish, carrot, cucumber, wax gourd, towel gourd, fresh peas, green beans, cauliflower, day lily, mushroom, shiitake mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, Flammulina velutipes, etc. \x0d\ Dried fruits: dried day lily, magnolia slices, dried bamboo shoots, vermicelli, red dates, konjac, auricularia, tremella, mushrooms, Tricholoma matsutake, etc. \x0d\ Game (artificially raised): pheasant, wild duck, quail, dog meat, dog whip, snake meat, frog, snail, bullfrog and nail fish. \x0d\ There are also processing raw materials, such as fish balls, meatballs, twisted dough sticks, fried dough sticks, oil cakes, crispy meat and gluten. \x0d\ VII。 How to prepare brine for Chongqing hot pot soup? \x0d\ The beauty and attraction of Chongqing hot pot lies in its flavor, and its flavor comes from the preparation of the original soup of hot pot, which determines the flavor of hot pot and is also the most critical link in making hot pot. \x0d\ There are many kinds of hot pot in Chongqing, and the original soup is different, but the most basic ones are red soup and clear soup. As long as we master the formula and preparation method of these two kinds of original soups and handle the matters needing attention, we can prepare a variety of excellent original soups. \x0d\ Prepare the original soup with authentic and high-quality seasonings. The condiments used in Chongqing hot pot mainly include: douban (topped with Pixian douban), douchi, fermented glutinous rice juice, pepper, ginger, garlic, dried pepper, refined salt, cooking wine, monosodium glutamate, chicken essence, pepper, rock sugar and natural spices. \x0d\ Many condiments have different functions. Douban makes the original soup marinade turn red and bright, producing a mellow, spicy and salty taste and increasing the fragrance of marinade; Douchi increases the salty flavor of the original soup; The fermented glutinous rice juice is fresh and fishy, which makes the original soup sweet; Zanthoxylum bungeanum is seasoned to enhance fragrance and inhibit fishy smell; Ginger and garlic are seasoned to enhance the umami taste, inhibit the fishy smell and remove the peculiar smell; Dried Chili peppers increase the flavor and spicy taste of the original soup; Pepper adds flavor and inhibits odor; Monosodium glutamate and chicken essence enhance fragrance and taste; Dried rock sugar increases sweetness; Spices are deodorized, deodorized, sterilized, deodorized, flavored, alcoholized and flavored. \x0d\ VIII。 Why is the bottom material of hot pot called the essence of hot pot? \x0d\ There are hundreds of hot pots in Chongqing, but no matter how they evolve, they can't be called authentic hot pots without bottom materials. \x0d\ Our most common chafing dish base is a common red soup pot, which is made of fine pepper, pepper, watercress, ginger, garlic, butter, vegetable oil, salad oil, refined salt, cooking wine and spices. And it is the basic material of hot pot, which is also commonly known as masterbatch. Before eating hot pot, the seasoning division scoops the master batch into the pot according to the volume of the pot, and then adds chicken essence, monosodium glutamate, refined salt, fermented grains, rock sugar, ginger, garlic, spices and fresh soup into the pot before eating. \x0d\ Other special-shaped pots, such as fish hot pot with sour soup, roasted chicken hot pot, beef omasum hot pot, beer duck hot pot, etc. They are all made by adding other materials as the core and frying, boiling or frying. Therefore, chafing dish bottom material is the essence of chafing dish, and it can't be called a real chafing dish without chafing dish bottom material. \x0d\ IX。 What should I pay attention to when frying hot pot bottom material? \x0d\ The bottom material of hot pot varies with the variety of hot pot, but there is no big difference in its basic elements. Therefore, we should pay attention to the following points when frying hot pot bottom materials: \x0d\ First, the materials should be fine. Pepper should generally choose "Fujiao", that is, peppers harvested in summer. Red color, positive taste and good spicy degree; Zanthoxylum bungeanum is selected from Zanthoxylum bungeanum in Mao Wen, Sichuan or Dahongpao in Hancheng, Shaanxi, with red color, full granules and rich fragrance. Ginger should be Dioscorea zingiberensis in Guanling, Guizhou. The juice is spicy and bitter. Sichuan Pixian watercress should be good. \x0d\ II. Accurate measurement. A good hot pot bottom material has a strict formula. What ingredients and how much are used must be accurately measured and weighed, otherwise the bottom material of the fried hot pot is very different. \x0d\ III. Strictly implement frying technical standards. For example, to make Bazin pepper, we must first "fly" pepper, but the timing is crucial. The time is short, the draft is insufficient, and the bottom material of the fried hot pot is dry and spicy; After the draft is finished, the fried base material is easy to muddy the soup and has a lighter color. For example, when butter and vegetable oil are heated, the temperature must be controlled below 150℃. When the temperature is higher than 150℃, the oil will be oxidized and decomposed, reducing the quality of the oil, and the bottom material of fried hot pot is neither fragrant nor bitter. \x0d\ IV. Strictly implement the frying process. There are many materials used for frying hot pot bottom materials, both oil-soluble and water-soluble; There are both first release and later release, and the requirements for its process should be strict and rigorous. For example, spices contain a lot of volatile oil and volatile substances, which will be quickly lost after encountering high fever. Therefore, it is impossible to achieve the goal by putting spices before frying; For example, pepper should be put first, so that it can be fried dry. \x0d\ Fifth, master the temperature. Generally speaking, when frying peppers, you should use strong fire and urgent fire to dry the water as soon as possible. When the water content is about 70%, stir-fry slowly with medium fire and low fire to give a fragrance. When the fire is big, it is inevitable to burn the pot. When making watercress, you must stir-fry the fragrance of watercress slowly with a small fire. \ x0d \ X. Why doesn't the chafing dish smell good? \x0d\ Whether hot pot is fragrant or not is influenced by many factors, which can be summarized into two major reasons, subjective and objective. \x0d\ Subjective reason: \x0d\ 1. The owner of hot pot restaurant is stingy. In order to reduce the cost, the quality of the selected materials is poor and the inferior materials are good. Of course, the incense base can't be fried. \x0d\2, purchasing. Obviously, you have good materials, but you want to buy inferior products, but you pay for them according to good materials and get kickbacks from them. \x0d\3。 Although Zizi is an expert in hot pot, due to personal ideological problems, he is dissatisfied with his boss, and his interpersonal relationship is not good. It is possible that he will not speculate artificially to blackmail or "fool" his boss. \x0d\4。 If other employees tamper with raw materials, there will be suspicion of damage. \x0d\ Subjectively, the bottom of the fire pot is not fried, and the fundamental reason is the spread of bad habits in the catering industry. Some chefs (cooks) think they have mastered a craft, lose their conscience and cook morality, and charge exorbitant prices. Some catering bosses lack corresponding professional knowledge, so they have to submit to humiliation, which in turn encourages their bad habits. \x0d\ objective reason: \x0d\ 1, the theoretical level of speculators. At present, most people who are engaged in the profession of chef or stir-fry are educated below high school, and some even have not graduated from primary school. They not only don't understand the simplest basic chemistry and cooking chemistry, but also don't understand the basic principles of color, smell and taste. How do they fry good ingredients? If you ask him in a hurry, he will say, Master taught me to do this, why, I don't know! \x0d\2。 Cooking chefs lack or only have a little knowledge of the cooking technology of hot pot bottom materials, the understanding of hot pot raw materials, the mastery of cooking time and the basic knowledge of seasonings. Recently, an online "insider" taught others to fry, and said, "How about burning the oil to 890% oil temperature (about 280 degrees)"; Many speculators also think that the oil should be "smoked" (250 degrees) before frying other materials and so on. In fact, this is all wrong. When the cooking temperature of oil exceeds 150℃, thermal decomposition, thermal polymerization, high-temperature oxidation and other changes will occur, resulting in deepening color, increasing viscosity, losing flavor and decreasing nutritional value. . \x0d\3。 The arbitrariness of speculators. We have observed the process of speculators' stock trading many times. When preparing materials, few people weigh them and estimate them with their eyes. The frying program often makes mistakes, either forgetting to put it this way or that way, and the order is reversed. Do you think it can be fried well and fragrant? Stir-frying hot pot bottom material is actually like making a product, which has very strict technology and working procedure. Any violation of process and working procedures will lead to bottom material errors. \x0d\4。 Source and seasonality of materials. The quality of materials must be strictly controlled in the production of good hot pot bottom materials, otherwise there will be problems. The main ingredients of hot pot bottom materials are mostly agricultural and sideline products, which are very seasonal and the quality will be greatly reduced after the season. For example, the main ingredient pepper must be fu pepper (picked in summer), and the quality of autumn pepper is much worse; For example, the pepper produced in Sichuan is red in color, full of hemp, rich in fragrance and basically bitter-free, while the pepper in Dahongpao, Shaanxi Province is more bitter, which is caused by the different geographical environment in which the two kinds of peppers grow. \x0d\5, the problem of hot pot seasoning. \x0d\ 1. Improper compatibility of hot pot seasoning. The preparation of hot pot seasoning should be reasonably compatible according to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine pays attention to drug compatibility to improve its efficacy, and so do spices. When a variety of spices are used together, there will be interaction between materials. For example, if some materials are mixed together, there will be synergy and the effect will increase. Some materials may confront each other after compatibility, offsetting or weakening the original efficacy; Improper compatibility of some materials will also have adverse side effects on human health. I have seen it many times. Before frying, the stir-fry (of course, not alone) grabbed a handful of spices in the east and a handful of spices in the west, and asked him why he put this, what effect it had and what dose it should be. The answer is "I don't know, I can say whatever I want." It's amazing, just like Dr. Happy. "Superb". But the boss is unlucky. The smell of today, the smell of tomorrow, offended all the guests! In fact, he doesn't understand, blind man! \x0d\ Second, the procedures and time for using spices are wrong. Some speculators poured peppers into the oil pan and began to put spices. I asked him why he was so early, and he said it was the only way to stir-fry incense. He did smell the fragrance, but the guests couldn't. As we know, spices are volatile and fragrant substances, and fragrance is a physiological and psychological state that people feel by suspending the particles of volatile substances in the air at room temperature and heating conditions. The longer the frying time and the higher the temperature, the more flavor loss. Therefore, the correct way should be to add spices before the end of frying the bottom materials, stir them evenly, and then turn off the fire and take them out for use. \x0d\ Third, the waste of spices. Some speculators put spices in the pot to save trouble, which is wrong. For example, fruit spices such as tsaoko, cardamom and Amomum villosum must be broken before the fragrance can escape; Cinnamon, galangal and other leather and tuber spices must be ground to achieve good results. \x0d\ XI。 What should I pay attention to when seasoning hot pot? \x0d\ As the saying goes, "Boil, boil, heat for five minutes, and season for five minutes". In addition to fresh vegetables, fresh soup and good seasoning, hot pot is more important. \x0d\ China is a vast country with different climate, cultural landscape and eating habits. Every place has its own unique taste requirements: some like spicy, some like sour, some like spicy, and some like fresh and sweet. This is the reason for the so-called "no one can adjust". \x0d\ Hotpot commonly used seasonings include chicken essence, monosodium glutamate, ginger, garlic, refined salt, cooking wine, fermented grains, pepper and spices. Attention should be paid to seasoning: \x0d\ First, seasoning should be carried out according to the preferences of most local people, whether it is salty or sweet or spicy or hemp, it should be recognized by most people; \x0d\ 2。 Strict inspection should be carried out on the purchased raw materials. If some monosodium glutamate contains more than 40% salt, then in order to ensure freshness, the amount of salt should be reduced appropriately; \x0d\ Thirdly, the seasoning before mixing should be standardized and quantified. Some seasoning masters mix more or less according to their own feelings, which leads to different tastes in each pot, giving customers a feeling of unstable taste and making customers never look back. Fourth, we should often do some sampling surveys. First, listen to customer feedback; The second is to taste their own flavor, and the third is to learn from the suggestions of peers.