The chilly winter months can hinder gatherings of family and friends, with most opting to stay bundled up in the comfort of their homes in front of a fireplace or heater.
Several local Chinese Americans, however, agree that a traditional Asian hot pot allows for family and friends to connect, eat and stay warm.
A hot pot is exactly what one would think — an actual hot pot.
The meal consists of a pot sitting in the center of the table, which is being heated electronically or by a portable butane gas stove or burner.
Inside the pot is broth or another soup base. Surrounding the pot are plates of thinly sliced meats, seafood and vegetables. Each person sitting around the table can put what food items they want into the simmering base to cook and take it out when it is ready.
Also, the group can choose to throw in all of the ingredients at once and take out what they want.
“You can pick anything you want in it,” said Cathy Mai of Greenwood. “You usually start with a broth of some type or base of your choice, and, usually, you have any meat you want, like beef, chicken or it can be little balls of fish or any kind of seafood or any kind of vegetables, like bok choy or other green leafy vegetables, bean sprouts, taro and winter melon. Everybody just serves themselves.”
Cathy’s husband, Matthew, said that hot pots started in China a long time ago when the ruler Kangxi wanted to honor the elderly by treating them to a dinner.
“It was a way to pay respect,” Matthew said. “In Beijing, it was very cold. When they brought the food out, it would be cold, so they could not really have a hot meal.”
Matthew said that it was Kangxi’s grandson, Qianlong, when he became the ruler of China, who introduced the hot pot to the area. The hot pot served two purposes. It kept everyone warm and kept the food warm.
Hot pots are believed to have originated in Mongolia, which has severely cold winters. They became widespread throughout China more than 1,000 years ago under the Qing dynasty, which Kangxi and Qianlong were a part of.
Hot pots are also popular in other parts of east Asia, like Korea and Thailand.
Andy Lo of Greenwood said his family decided to have a hot pot on Christmas Day. The Los also had a traditional Christmas meal, featuring ham and all the trimmings. Lo said, however, that the hot pot allowed his family to interact in a way that just being served food did not.
“There is more involvement because everybody has to be active. You are throwing stuff in there and picking it up,” said Lo. “It makes people active.”
Lo said his family held a hot pot more frequently when they lived in Hong Kong. Sometimes they would have one when they lived in Chicago; however, this past Christmas was the first Lo hot pot since they have lived in Greenwood.
“We hadn’t had a hot pot in a long time and decided to try something different this year,” Lo said. “It was my mom’s idea. We had just bought a new hot pot, so she said, ‘Let’s all get together and do a hot pot around Christmas.’”
The prep work for a hot pot is time-consuming. All meat that will be featured has to be thinly sliced. This allows a shorter time to cook. Most of the food is raw before entering the pot. It takes about five to 10 minutes, depending on the item, for the food to cook.
Matthew said that to gather for a hot pot, a block of time — about two to three hours — needs to be set aside.
“If anybody has the time and a variety of foods with a group of friends around you, it is a lot of fun,” said Matthew.
Hot pots generally work better with a large group of people; however, Cathy remembers as a child her family of four would also have a hot pot.
“I remember it was a big ordeal. My mom would get really fancy and would take Chinese chives and wrap them in little purses. Then, she would tie a little bow on it, and it would be bite-size,” said Cathy. “It was really fun as a little girl.”
Gathering around a table for a hot pot with family and friends and participating in cooking food creates a socially inviting atmosphere.
“I don’t get to see my sister all the time, so it’s fun that we all sat together and talked about life and how things are going,” said Lo. “It’s a social gathering.”
Hot pots are as common in China as bonfires and barbecues are in America. Also, hot pot restaurants are common in China.
“At a restaurant, there is space cut out in the center of the tables for the pot with a burner beneath,” said Cathy. “You just order what base you want to be in the pot. They roll a cart around with little plates of vegetables and meat, and you just pick what you want.”
The restaurants are sparse in America and are limited to major cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. So hot pots are more commonly held in homes.
“I think it’s a good thing. Like in the summer time people get together for a barbecue, and in the winter time people can do this,” said Lo. It’s more healthy, too. I think everybody should try it.”
• Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7233 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
