Hot pot is a traditional food in China with a long history, which can be traced back to the Three Kingdoms period. As early as the Three Kingdoms period, there was a custom of taking a bronze tripod as a pot and eating it in cook the meat, but it was not popular at that time, and it was not until the Southern and Northern Dynasties that it was perfected. At that time, people knew to cook all kinds of meat with "hot pot". With the development of the times, until the Qing Dynasty, hot pot became a particularly popular food for both the people and the court, and China's "hot pot culture" also took shape.
Nowadays, the hot pot culture in China is colorful, and each region has different flavors. For example, the spicy hot pot in Sichuan and Chongqing is mainly spicy and delicious, with bright oil color. The main ingredients in the hot pot are hairy belly, brain flower, yellow throat and duck blood.
-Bian Xiao is very experienced in eating hairy bellies. I think it's very particular to rinse your hair. It takes "seven ups and eight downs" to make the best hairy belly.
The representative of Beijing area is "mutton hot pot", also called instant-boiled mutton. The pot is a brass hollow round pot with charcoal at the bottom, and the soup at the bottom of the pot is supplemented with ingredients such as angelica, medlar and red dates. After the soup is boiled a little, the mutton can be eaten with a little rinse in the brass hot pot. This kind of mutton, which is quickly rinsed out, still maintains the tenderness and chewiness of the meat itself, which can be said to be the essence of Beijing-style hot pot.
In addition, there are Yunnan-style hot pot, Shanghai's assorted hot pot, Suzhou and Hangzhou's chrysanthemum hot pot and so on. , all have extraordinary flavor. It is no exaggeration to say that hot pot in each region has its own unique cultural connotation. The so-called "big pot of rice, with dried Kun in it", that's all.
Northeast hot pot is developed from Manchu hot pot. Manchu hotpot has a long history. During the Jin Dynasty, jurchen had the habit of cooking sliced meat with chicken soup. At that time, all the pieces of meat people ate came from wild animals, so the hot pot at that time was also called "Chou", which means "wild hot pot".
One of the highlights of Manchu hot pot is the soup base. The soup base is made of traditional soup base, with eight ingredients, namely laver, day lily, oyster, squid, dried clam, crab, dried shrimp skin, fungus (different ingredients are used in different regions), and northeast sauerkraut. The hot pot soup base made by this method not only has the delicacy of seafood, but also has the fragrance of wild mushrooms and the sour taste of sauerkraut. Before eating hot pot, drink a bowl of hot pot soup to warm your stomach and body. Traditional Manchu hot pot will also add some medicinal materials when making soup base, such as medlar, ginseng, codonopsis pilosula, angelica and so on. Nourish the body while enjoying the food.
Manchu hot pot also pays special attention to side dishes. When placing side dishes, you should pay attention to "fly forward and then walk, leave fish and shrimp, and sprinkle cauliflower around" Put bird meat in front of the hot pot, animal meat in the back, fish on the left, shrimp on the right and some vegetables. This practice is to show respect to the guests, just like the stars arch the moon.
Manchu hot pot is also different from other hot pots in the choice of meat slices. The pork belly slices used in authentic Manchu hot pot are all cooked pork belly. Slice the pork belly before cooking, and then put it directly into the pot, which tastes fragrant but not greasy. Beef and mutton are also cut by hand. Beef and mutton are thin and fat, and can be cooked in one pot. Remember: don't cook for too long, you will lose the freshness of the meat itself. In dipping, Manchu hot pot is mainly made of sesame sauce, fermented bean curd and leek flower, supplemented by other seasonings, which are prepared according to their own tastes.
People love hot pot, not only because of its rich flavor and rich dishes, but also because of the lively atmosphere when eating hot pot. Nowadays, more and more people have to travel around for work and life, so that they spend less and less time with their families. When eating hot pot, the whole family got together and no one left behind. In people's eyes, hot pot is not only delicious, but also a symbol of reunion. Just like a hot pot with a gap can't keep soup, no one can live without it. Without one, you can't call it home.