It is winter now. The coldness and closeness to Chinese New Year strongly remind every Chinese student here at Emory of “hotspot,” which consists of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients such as meat, seafood, and leaf vegetables are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. Last Friday, my best friend, Iris Xu, made hotspot for dinner. It could be counted as the best dinner since I came to Emory.
Hotpot is a traditional Chinese diet, originated in countryside, having a long history. Today, those hotpot containers, cooking methods, and seasoning have undergone many changes, but there is one basic thing not being changed: using fire to heat the pot which contains water and a mixture of different ingredients. This cooking method has appeared during as early as Shang and Zhou dynasties. Perhaps that is the era when hotpot gets invented. There are some ancient records, showing that during ancient rituals or celebrations, all people stand around the tripod, cooking the beef and mutton in the tripod, and then distributing them and eating.
There are various types of hotpot being invented and populated in different regions of China. The famous Guangdong seafood hotpot is fresh and not greasy, with infinitely delicious flavors; the chrysanthemum pot in eastern area has a very cool and distinctive flavor; Yunnan pot is very spicy and appetizing with lots of peppers. Those are all greatly praised by the general public.
Hotpot is not only a fabulous type of Chinese food, but also implies a lot of food culture. For example, when northeastern people invite guests to their home having dinner, they place ingredients in hotpot in a particular way: They put flying bird meat on the front of the mouth of the hotpot and put poultry meat behind; they put fish on the left, and shrimp on the right, with a few different vegetables around. If there are uninvited guest, the hosts will put two large meatballs in front of the pot, and put poultry meat behind, which implies unwelcoming meaning. Most Taiwanese will have hotpot on the seventh day after Chinese New Year, and there are seven necessary ingredients including celery, onion, shallot, coriander, chive, fish, and meat, meaning diligence, competence, cleverness, popularity, happiness, richness, and affluence, respectively.
Even though hotpot is not my favorite dish, it always reminds me of my home, China. It always reminds me of the big celebrations days in the past when my family members all gathered together and had delicious hotspots. We were having such a good time staying together and discussing interesting topics. Those experiences and memories are unforgivable. Especially while I am here in a foreign country and it is close to Chinese New Year, I miss my family a lot. While eating hotpot last Friday, I almost cried. Chinese people likes gathering on the table. We highly value the moment that we spend on the table being together. Hotpot serves as a food link which connects our family around the table.
Hotpot is a traditional Chinese diet, originated in countryside, having a long history. Today, those hotpot containers, cooking methods, and seasoning have undergone many changes, but there is one basic thing not being changed: using fire to heat the pot which contains water and a mixture of different ingredients. This cooking method has appeared during as early as Shang and Zhou dynasties. Perhaps that is the era when hotpot gets invented. There are some ancient records, showing that during ancient rituals or celebrations, all people stand around the tripod, cooking the beef and mutton in the tripod, and then distributing them and eating.
There are various types of hotpot being invented and populated in different regions of China. The famous Guangdong seafood hotpot is fresh and not greasy, with infinitely delicious flavors; the chrysanthemum pot in eastern area has a very cool and distinctive flavor; Yunnan pot is very spicy and appetizing with lots of peppers. Those are all greatly praised by the general public.
Hotpot is not only a fabulous type of Chinese food, but also implies a lot of food culture. For example, when northeastern people invite guests to their home having dinner, they place ingredients in hotpot in a particular way: They put flying bird meat on the front of the mouth of the hotpot and put poultry meat behind; they put fish on the left, and shrimp on the right, with a few different vegetables around. If there are uninvited guest, the hosts will put two large meatballs in front of the pot, and put poultry meat behind, which implies unwelcoming meaning. Most Taiwanese will have hotpot on the seventh day after Chinese New Year, and there are seven necessary ingredients including celery, onion, shallot, coriander, chive, fish, and meat, meaning diligence, competence, cleverness, popularity, happiness, richness, and affluence, respectively.
Even though hotpot is not my favorite dish, it always reminds me of my home, China. It always reminds me of the big celebrations days in the past when my family members all gathered together and had delicious hotspots. We were having such a good time staying together and discussing interesting topics. Those experiences and memories are unforgivable. Especially while I am here in a foreign country and it is close to Chinese New Year, I miss my family a lot. While eating hotpot last Friday, I almost cried. Chinese people likes gathering on the table. We highly value the moment that we spend on the table being together. Hotpot serves as a food link which connects our family around the table.