There are currently two theories about the origin of hot pot: one is that it was during the Three Kingdoms period or the era of Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty, when the "bronze tripod" was the predecessor of hot pot; the other is that hot pot was It began in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the "dou" in the unearthed cultural relics refers to hot pot. It can be seen that hot pot has a history of more than 1,900 years in our country. Chongqing hot pot has been recorded as early as Zuo Si's "Sandu Fu". It can be seen that its history is at least 1700 years ago.
"Book of Wei" records that during the Three Kingdoms period, when Cao Pi proclaimed himself emperor on behalf of the Han Dynasty, hot pots made of copper appeared, but they were not popular at the time. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, people gradually used hot pot for cooking. It was originally popular in the cold northern regions of my country, where people used it to cook pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, fish and other meats. Later, as my country's economy and culture became increasingly developed and cooking technology further developed, various types of hot pot also appeared one after another. Come on stage. By the Northern Song Dynasty, hot pot was available in taverns in Kaifeng, Bianjing, in winter. By the time of the Qing Dynasty, hot pot and shabu-shabu had become a winter delicacy in the palace. By the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, dozens of different hotpots had been formed across the country, each with its own characteristics. During the Muromachi period of Japan, hot pot was introduced to Japan from China in 1338. In Japan, hot pot is called "Sigai Agai", also known as "Hoe". Nowadays, hot pot has also spread to the United States, France, Britain and other countries.
Hot pot, also known as "antique soup" in ancient times, got its name from the "clunking" sound it makes when adding ingredients to boiling water. It is an original Chinese delicacy with a long history. According to research, the Eastern Han Dynasty cultural relic "Wok Dou" unearthed after liberation is a hot pot. Bai Juyi's poem "Nineteen Questions" of the Tang Dynasty vividly describes the scene of eating hot pot at that time: "Green ants newly fermented wine, small red clay stove. It's snowing in the evening, can you drink a cup?" By the Song Dynasty, the way of eating hot pot was already common among the people. In the recipe book "Shan Jia Qing Gong" written by Lin Hong in the Southern Song Dynasty, there was an introduction to eating hot pot with his friends. In the Yuan Dynasty, hot pot spread to Mongolia and was used to cook beef and mutton. By the Qing Dynasty, hot pot was not only popular among the people, but also became a famous "palace dish". The imperial diet of the Qing Dynasty included "game hot pot", and the ingredients were pheasants and other game. Emperor Qianlong was addicted to hot pot. He traveled to the south of the Yangtze River many times, and every place he visited had hot pot. According to legend, he held a "Thousands of Old Banquet" in the palace in the first month of the first year of Jiaqing. More than 1,550 hot pot dishes were served to the whole table, and more than 5,000 people were invited to taste it, making it the largest hot pot feast in history.
my country’s hot pots come in a variety of colors and flavors. Famous ones include the seafood hotpot in Guangdong, the calcium-bone hotpot is delicious but not greasy; the chrysanthemum hotpot in Suzhou and Hangzhou is fragrant and refreshing, with a unique flavor; the Dian-style hotpot in Yunnan is tender, spicy and full of flavor; the dog meat in western Hunan Hot pot enjoys the reputation of "three rolls of dog meat, and the gods cannot stand still"; Chongqing's tripe hot pot is spicy and mellow, and is famous all over the world; Beijing's mutton shabu-shabu has a unique flavor and is appetizing. In addition, Hangzhou's "Three Fresh Hot Pot", Hubei's "Game Hot Pot", Northeast's "White Meat Hot Pot", Hong Kong's "Beef Hot Pot", Shanghai's "Assorted Hot Pot", etc. also have unique flavors and are tempting to salivate. It is called the "spring breeze on the table" in the cold winter and is talked about by diners.
Hot pot is not only a delicacy, but also contains a lot of food culture connotations, adding elegance to people's taste. For example, when Northeastern people entertain distinguished guests, the dishes in the hot pot are arranged in a very regular way: flying forward and backward, fish on the left and shrimp on the right, with cauliflower sprinkled lightly around. That is, the poultry meat is placed in front of the hot pot opposite the stove mouth, and the animal meat is placed behind the hot pot. Fish are on the left, shrimps are on the right, and a little bit of various shredded vegetables are placed. If you are treating an uninvited guest, put two extra large meatballs in front of the hot pot, followed by animal meat, to signal you to leave. Taiwanese Hakka people mostly eat hot pot on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. There are seven indispensable ingredients for hot pot, namely celery, garlic, green onions, coriander, leeks, fish and meat, which respectively mean: "diligence, calculation, Smart, popular, long-term happiness, abundant, and prosperous.”
Although hot pot is delicious, you must pay attention to hygiene and science when eating hot pot. First, pay attention to choosing fresh ingredients to avoid food poisoning. Second, you must control the heat. If the food is cooked in the pot for too long, the nutrients will be destroyed and the flavor will be lost. If you eat it without waiting for the heat to boil, it will easily cause digestive tract diseases. In addition, you should be careful not to eat it when it is hot, otherwise it will easily burn the mucous membranes of your mouth and esophagus.
About 10,000 years ago, our ancestors invented the earliest container, the pottery tripod. It was a very large pot, whether it was a three-legged or four-legged tripod. At that time, As long as the food was edible, such as meat, all was thrown into the cauldron, and then a fire was lit at the bottom to cook the food into a large pot of food, which was called "soup" at that time. This was the earliest hot pot. But if you think about it carefully, there was no so-called salt, no seasoning, and no dipping sauce. It was just a pile of meat cooked. Would it be delicious? In addition, the tripod is too big and cannot be moved. It can only be displayed in a fixed place, making it inconvenient to enjoy at any time. Therefore, in the Western Zhou Dynasty, the wise ancestors not only invented copper and iron, but also improved various pottery products into smaller vessels suitable for ordinary people to use. The emergence of copper and iron not only formed a revolution in utensils, but was also very similar to modern pots. Copper pots and pottery casseroles are still the most practical and common hot pot utensils, and the large tripod finally became the It has become a symbol of power.