Top China Hotpots

Edited by Asia Odyssey Travel on 2020-11-11

Around two decades ago, most Chinese people only eat hotpot in winter to keep them warm. With the wide spread of Sichuan Hotpot, more and more Chinese people also eat hotpot even in hot summer.

Hotpots in other styles are also becoming popular in recent years. It is partly because Sichuan hotpot makes all hotpots hotter, however, the unique flavors of various hotpots are the decisive reasons, why they are liked by more and more people.

The Top China Hotpots recommended below are collected from over 10 provinces in China. Both north and south China style are included. Hope these hotpots make you hungry!

Sichuan Hotpot – Spicy and Pungent

Sichuan food has been the most popular kind of cuisine in China for nearly two decades. There are Sichuan food restaurants in almost every city in China. It is best known for its spicy and pungent flavor. There are dozens of ingredients for a perfect Sichuan hotpot, however, if you can gather the major ingredients listed above, it is possible to cook a basic Sichuan hotpot.

Sichuan hotpot sauce consists of sesame oil, garlic, scallion, and soy sauce. The garlic and scallion need to be cut up.

Situated beside the Yangtze River, Sichuan Province is a very wet area. Local people believe eating spicy food can keep they dry.

Major Ingredients: red pepper, Chinese prickly pepper, water, salt, beef tallow, soy sauce, Sichuan hotpot sauce, beef, mutton, tofu, mushrooms, and vegetable

Sichuan Hotpot

Beijing Mutton Hotpot – Tradition of Beijing Local People

It is easy to prepare a Beijing mutton hotpot. You only need the boil water with scallion and ginger, and then put mutton in it. However, you need an authentic bronze pot to know the Beijing hotpot culture.

Local people like to use burning charcoal to heat a hotpot, so they need a mini chimney on the top of a hotpot. And the hotpot needs to be made from bronze, which can make water being heated quickly and uniformly. Nowadays, many people do not use charcoal, so the chimney becomes only a decoration.

The Beijing hotpot sauce consists of sesame soy, Chinese chives, scallion, caraway, and preserved beancurd.

Major Ingredients: bronze pot, water, mutton, scallion, ginger, Beijing hotpot sauce, and fresh mutton

Beijing Mutton Hotpot

Guizhou Sour Soup Fish Hotpot – Sour and Spicy

The local sour soup is the most basic ingredient for a Sour Soup Fish Hotpot. In order to make the sour coup, local people mix tomato, fermented rice, or vinegar with water, and then heat the mixed soup in a bamboo tube. Lastly, boil the soup and fish in a big pan. Many people coat fish with chili powder before eating.

In ancient times, it was difficult to transfer salt to Guizhou due to the hilly landform, so people use sour flavor to replace salt.

Major Ingredients: Fish, local sour soup, tomato, pepper, water, vinegar, scallion, garlic, and vegetables

Guizhou Sour Soup Fish Hotpot

Chaoshan Beef Hotpot – How Beef Defeat Sea Food

Chaoshan is an area in Guangdong Province. As you may have known, Guangdong Province is located beside the South China Sea. The sea area in Chaoshan is five times larger than the land area, however, the most popular food in Chaoshan is beef hotpot, rather than seafood.

You need to boil the beef bone soup first. When soup is ready, sprinkle some ground celery in and drink it. Local people believe the celery soup will make you have a better appetite.

The Chaoshan Shacha Sauce, which consists of peanuts, fish, shrimp, beef tallow, pepper, ginger, and herb, is the most special ingredient for the hotpot. Generally speaking, it is a little bit sweet, not very spicy. It is recommended to coat the boiled beef with this sauce before eating.

Major Ingredients: Beef, beef bones, Chaoshan Shacha Sauce, water, and celery

Guizhou Sour Soup Fish Hotpot

Coconut Chicken Hotpot – Good for Women

As long as you have coconut, water, and chicken, you can make the coconut hotpot, no cooking skill is needed at all. What you only need to do is boiling a coconut with water and chicken. Of course, you only need the inside part of a coconut.

This hotpot is liked by many women, who believe the soup of the hotpot can keep their skin slippery and moist. It was only popular in Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, and Macau around 10 years ago. Nowadays, many people in north China also like it. And many people believe the coconuts grown in Hainan Province are the best ingredients for this hotpot.

Major Ingredients: Coconut, water, and chicken

Coconut Chicken Hotpot

Chrysanthemum Hotpot – Even Surprised Chinese People

When you get fresh chrysanthemum, it is critical to wash it with alum water, which can disinfect the chrysanthemum. And then, boil the chrysanthemum with water and meat soup. When the tantalizing aroma of the chrysanthemum rise from the pot, it is time to put chicken, beef, or any other food you like into the hotpot.

There are not so many chrysanthemum hotpot restaurants in China, except the South Yangtze River area, which consists of Shanghai City and Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces. Not so many Chinese people have ever tasted a flower hotpot, so this chrysanthemum hotpot even makes many Chinese people surprised.

Major Ingredients: Fresh chrysanthemum, meat soup, fish, chicken or beef, and vegetables

Chrysanthemum Hotpot

Chinese Sauerkraut and Pork Hotpot – Popular in Northeast China

Bake the streaky pork until it turns light yellow, and then cool it in cold water for around 30 minutes. Lastly, boil the streaky pork with Chinese sauerkraut, seafood soup, and the seasonings listed in Major Ingredients.

Northeast China is very cold in autumn and winter. It is not easy to keep vegetables fresh in these two seasons, so local people make sauerkraut, which can be kept much longer than fresh vegetables. Besides streaky pork, chicken is often cooked with sauerkraut.