Regional variations

BEIJING MUTTON HOTPOT

Stock: Hot water, a few dried Chinese jujubes, a couple of slices of ginger. Sauces: Fermented beancurd or jiangdoufu, sesame paste, pickled wild chive flowers or jiucaihua, hot chili oil, soy sauce. Ingredients:

Thinly sliced mutton and lamb, chicken wings, red sausages, dried tofu puffs, frozen tofu or dongdoufu, napa cabbages, mushrooms, lettuce, radish, lotus root.

CANTONESE SEAFOOD HOTPOT

Stock: Light stock made of chicken or pork bones, sliced radishes, sliced lotus roots. Sauces: Light and dark soy sauces, fresh cut chili, chopped spring onions, minced garlic.

Often, the freshly cooked meat may be dipped into a raw beaten egg, both to cool the food and to improve its texture. Ingredients: Thinly sliced pork, chicken, fish. Chicken wings. A variety of cooked meat balls and fish balls, dumplings and freshly minced prawn and fish paste, dropped into the stock to cook. Fresh prawns and crab are popular as well, as are oysters, clams and cockles.

Dried tofu products such as tofu skin, tofu puffs and blocks of fresh tofu.

Bundles of watercress, water convolvulus, lettuce, cabbages, more lotus root slices and radish chunks, chrysanthemum greens or tonghao, dried laver slices and mushrooms.

SPICY CHONGQING HOTPOT

Stock: Deep-fried chilli flakes and whole chilies, green and red Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, cumin, fennel, hot bean paste, beef fat and light stock. Sauces: Traditionally, the Chongqing hotpot uses just a bowl of sesame oil for a dip, since the stock itself is so well-flavored. Ingredients: Sliced beef is a favorite, but the Chongqing hotpot is known for its exotic ingredients, including beef esophagus, goose intestines, pig’s brains, beef intestines and several different types of tripe.

DIY HOTPOT

It’s very easy to put together a hotpot meal, and it is especially good for an informal evening with friends. Simply choose your stock, sauces and choice of meat. For a tasty starter, simply drop a bouillon cube into hot water.