FOOD & BEVERAGE吃: HOT POT/ STEAMBOAT aka TA PIN LOW

Chinese Hot Pot also known as Chinese Steamboat or Chinese Fondue, because of its similarity to French counterpart, is prepared in a metal pot which is place in the center of the table. A traditional Chinese hotpot is where diners choose from mostly raw or even marinated ingredients to dip into simmering pot of different kind of soup stock. The basic idea is to have a steaming pot of soup in the center of the table surrounded by platters of meats, seafood and vegetables that can be cooked by blanching in the hot broth. We get a pot of broth, pick any meat, seafood, vegetable to our own liking and cook it. It is also a brilliant example of the art of interaction, sharing and socialising. This is usually requires a minimum of two people, and the more the merrier. Imagine having friends sitting around a steaming wok, their eyes will be treated to a vista of the freshest and colourful food, their noses will be tantalised by the aromas of the most fragrant Chinese herbs and their taste buds will be rapt with the variety of tastes and textures. Today in many modern homes, particularly in the big cities, the traditional coal-heated steamboat has been replaced by electric, gas or induction cooker versions.

The Chinese hotpot boasts a history of more than 1000 years. Hotpot cooking was spread to northern China during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). By the Qing Dynasty, steamboat become so popular throughout most of China then it spread across the country and to the neighbouring countries - Eastern countries like Japan, Taiwan (Taiwan cuisine is greatly influenced by Japanese cuisine in general). From there, it emerged into different variety of hotpot style of cooking, for a few example :

Manchuria - Use lots of "Suan Chai" (Chinese shredded cabbage fermented in brine) to make the pot's stew sour.

Taiwanese - Eat with a dipping sauce consisting of "Shacha" sauce (made from soybean oil, garlic, chilli, shallots, brill fish and dried shrimp) and raw egg yolk.

Cantonese - Mixing raw egg with the ingredient to reduce the amount of heat which absorbed by the food. According to the Chinese herbalist, they believe it will reduce the likelihood of sore throat after the meal.

Thailand - Hotpot is called Thai suki but it is quite different from Japanese shabu shabu variation called sukiyaki. Thai people uses their Thai- style dipping sauce with chilli, lime and coriander leaves.

Japanese - Sukiyaki. Meats are usually slice thin beed which is slowly cooked or simmered with vegetables and other ingredients in a shallow pot of mixture of soy sauce, sugar and "Mirin" (Rice wine similar to sake but with lower alcohol).

Vietnam - Hotpot is called "Lẩu" where else the soup base is called "Canh Chua" (sour soup, where the taste comes from tamarind, which is mixed with a small amount of hot water. The mixture is then stirred for a few moments to release all the essence, and the liquid, minus the tamarind seeds and other solids, which are discard will be added to the soup).

Chongqing and Sichuan - Hotpot is called "Ma La Huo Guo" (numb and spicy, which a special local spice known as "Hua Jiao" (flower pepper) is added). It is very different from the types eaten in other parts of China from the soup base and the sauces and condiments. The spice creates a sensation on the tongue that is both spicy, burn and numb.

I can hot pot any where, any time at any place whether alone or with a bunch of friends. Basically, i am a hot pot addict.

HOT POT-ING ALONE

My mum used to make steamboat as our reunion dinner during Chinese new year eve, when I still lived in Malaysia. She will be busy from morning till evening preparing the soup base, all the raw meat, seafood and vegetables. It was really a feast !! Getting the raw food is so so simply. It doesn't need to have fancy ingredient at all. We would be eating eating and more eating till midnight. It is a fun way to enjoy a meal together where everyone cooks their own food right at the table.

Up until now, I still make my soup base and dipping sauce in my mum's way.

Dipping sauces - chopped garlic, soy sauce, a few drops of sesame oil, vinegar, slice green chillies, and chopped coriander leaves.