A fluffy, dark brown root spice commonly used in spicy hot pot soup or braised dishes is called vanilla in Chengdu and fermented grains in Chongqing. In fact, it should be called fermented grains, also known as fermented grains. Sweet fermented grains have a pungent smell, which is similar to strong turpentine smell. They have the functions of regulating qi, relieving pain, relieving depression and invigorating spleen. They are blindly used as traditional Chinese medicines to treat chest and abdomen pain, stomach pain, vomiting, loss of appetite and indigestion. Adding this spice to spicy hot pot soup or brine has a strong fragrance. However, we should pay attention to the quantity, and the dosage should not exceed 5 grams at a time, otherwise the aroma will be "greasy".

02 lilac

Also called Syringa oblata and Syringa oblata, they are the flower buds of Syringa oblata. Dry products are commonly used in cooking, with strong fragrance, tingling and numbness in the tongue, pungent and warm in nature, and have the functions of warming the stomach, stopping hiccups, expelling wind and relieving pain. The dosage in cooking should be within1~ 2 grams, and never use it more.

03 octagonal

It should be called star anise, also known as anise, aniseed and pearl in August, which is a familiar spice. It is characterized by its fragrant smell and slightly sweet taste. It is pungent and warm in nature, and has the functions of warming the middle warmer to stimulate appetite, dispelling cold and treating hernia. Whether it is hot pot, braise in soy sauce or brine, it can be used in cooking. Because its fragrance is that some people like it and others are annoyed, it is more flexible in use, and 5 ~10 g is appropriate.

04 fennel

Also known as fennel, shredded vegetables, Huai Xiang and wild fennel. It is cultivated in most parts of the country and is familiar to people. Its fresh stems and leaves are often used in cooking to make fennel beans, fennel stuffed jiaozi and so on. Its mature fruit is like small grains of rice or cumin, and it has a special aroma. As a spice, it is widely used in braised pork, bittern and spicy hot pot. In hot pot, the dosage can be appropriately increased, such as10 ~ 20g or more. In medicine, it is pungent and warm, and has the functions of promoting qi circulation, relieving pain, invigorating stomach and dispelling cold.

05 tsaoko

The fruit of Amomum tsaoko, a ginger plant, tastes strange and unpleasant. Its medicinal properties are warm and pungent, and it has the functions of eliminating dampness, strengthening spleen, eliminating phlegm, warming middle warmer, expelling cold and resisting malaria. It can be broken or used whole in cooking. As a spice, it is burned or marinated with beef, and its flavor is especially good. Amomum tsaoko should not be used in spicy hot pot and brine, and it is more appropriate to put 3 ~ 5 pieces.

06 Amomum villosum

Also known as Amomum villosum and Amomum villosum, it is the mature fruit of Amomum villosum. It tastes astringent, smells fragrant, has mild medicinal properties and pungent taste. It has the functions of promoting qi circulation, invigorating stomach and promoting digestion. The medicine is used for abdominal distension and pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, enteritis, dysentery, and fetal movement. It should not be used too much in hot pot and braised dishes, and it should be less than 3 grams.

07 Sannai

Some places are also called shajiang and shanla, which are rhizomes. Grocery stores and Chinese medicine stores sell dried slices, which are fragrant. The medicine is mild in nature and pungent in taste, and can warm and eliminate dampness, promote qi circulation and relieve pain. It is mainly used for treating acute gastroenteritis, dyspepsia, abdominal pain and diarrhea, stomach cold pain, toothache, rheumatoid arthritis, traumatic injury, etc. In cooking, it is mostly used for burning, marinating and spicy hot pot, and the dosage is mostly between 5 ~10g. Guangdong people use galangal to make salted chicken. In recent years, Sichuan Jianghu dishes are made of "Sannai dishes", that is to say, the main ingredients are cooked with a lot of Sannai, dried red pepper and dried pepper. This dish is praised for its unique flavor, but it has not been reported yet.

08 Lingcao

It is a blind spice widely used in hot pot in recent years. Because all the products sold in the market are dry, it is difficult to identify. After the author consulted in many ways, the dried product was taken to associate professor Xu Jiangpu of our school for verification: it should be called Lingxiang, also known as Linglingxiang, belonging to LYSIMACHIA of Primulaceae. It is a perennial herb with strong fragrance and sweet taste. Used in spicy hot pot, the general dosage is not more than 5g. There is another kind of Lingcao in the market, named Basil, which can replace the above one, but it belongs to Labiatae, also called Linglingxiang, also known as nine-story pagoda, vanilla, vanilla, duck head, sparrow head grass, etc., and its sexual taste is pungent and warm. In terms of medicine, it is pungent and warm, and has the functions of treating cold, cold and headache.

09 weeding

Like Lingcao, it is also a common spice used in spicy hot pot in recent years. A few days ago, I asked Professor Xiong Sizhi to help me find the relevant information, and soon got the results: weeding is also called fragrant weeding, fragrant weeding, fragrant sheep, and LYSIMACHIA pilosa, which also belongs to Primulaceae, and its nature and taste are sweet. It can be used for treating common cold, cough, rheumatism and irregular menstruation. The dosage in spicy hot pot should not be too much, just 3 ~ 5 grams, and it can also be used in brine.

Some people say that in spicy hot pot and brine, "Lingcao enhances fragrance, weeding and antiseptic", in fact, many spicy spices have antibacterial and antiseptic effects to varying degrees.

10 Cardamom

Also known as round cardamom, it is written as "Bai Kou" and "Kouren" in the market or pharmacies. The taste is astringent, because its medicinal properties are pungent and warm, so it has the functions of promoting qi and regulating qi, warming the stomach and promoting digestion, eliminating dampness and stopping vomiting, and relieving alcoholism. Add 3 ~ 5g to the spicy hot pot. Because of its good fragrance, the dosage is small.

1 1 nutmeg

Alias Yuguo. In recent years, it has been widely used in hot pot, but its taste is also unpleasant. Its medicinal properties are pungent and warm, and it has the functions of warming the spleen and stomach, astringing the intestines and lowering the qi. You can't use more than one thing, just two or three.

12 cinnamon

Also known as cinnamon. Sweet and hot in nature, it has the effects of nourishing Yuanyang, warming spleen and stomach, removing accumulated cold and dredging blood vessels. Indications: kidney-yang deficiency, cold pain in the heart, chronic diarrhea, etc. It is oily and has a strong fragrance. The taste is spicy and the aftertaste is slightly sweet. It is widely used in spicy hot pot and braised dishes, and the appropriate dosage is 5 ~10g. Cinnamon is not only a commonly used Chinese medicine, but also a commonly used meat seasoning. Because of its warm nature, it should be used less than more. Chinese medicine believes that cinnamon is pungent and hot, and herbal medicine has a record of "small toxicity", so the dosage should not be too large.

There are three kinds of seasonings named "cardamom". Both cardamom and Alpinia katsumadai are native products, which are the seeds of two kinds of zingiberaceae plants respectively. Only nutmeg is an exotic product, originating in Southeast Asia, and is the nut of evergreen trees. Cardamom, also known as cardamom, smells bitter and fragrant, tastes bitter and cold, and can remove the odor and add spice in cooking, which is often used in brine and hot pot. Alpinia katsumadai, also a spicy seasoning, can remove the fishy smell and strange taste and add fragrance to dishes. It can be used together with cardamom or substituted in cooking.

Spices are widely used in Sichuan hot pot, such as fragrant leaves, which are leaves of Cinnamomum japonicum. Whether it is spicy hot pot or white soup hot pot,1~ 3 leaves can be used to enhance fragrance. Another example is Piper longum, a plant of Piperaceae. In addition to enhancing the flavor, experienced hotpot chefs also learn from the experience of medicinal diet and add Piper longum to enhance the spicy taste of spicy hotpot. Others such as Ligusticum Chuanxiong, Angelica sinensis, Angelica dahurica, Pericarpium Citri Tangerinae and Pogostemon Pogostemonis are many, so I won't list them here. Hot pot spices must be prepared. As long as they are prepared, they are not afraid that they will not be fried. If plant spices are used well in cooking, dishes will be popular. If they are not used well, they will lose their appetite and may also lead to negative effects.