The characteristics of Chongqing hot pot are mainly reflected in the following aspects:
Unique flavors
Spicy and fresh flavor.
Chongqing hot pot is known for its spiciness, and a large number of chili peppers and peppercorns are the main source of its spiciness and numbness. The fiery spiciness of chili peppers and the numbness of peppercorns are intertwined with each other, and together with the skillful combination of various spices and medicinal herbs, it creates a strong, mellow and richly layered flavor, which is so appealing to the taste buds that people can’t stop eating it.
Oil is heavy and flavorful:
Traditional Chongqing hot pot mostly uses butter as the base, the mellow aroma of butter not only wraps the ingredients well, but also makes the hot pot flavor more intense, and as the cooking time increases, the base will become more and more fragrant, and the more it cooks, the more flavorful it becomes.
Abundant ingredients
A wide variety:
Chongqing hot pot has an extremely wide selection of ingredients, covering a wide range of meat, seafood, vegetables, soy products, mushrooms and other ingredients. From common beef, mutton, pork and chicken, to fresh fish fillets, shrimp sliders, crab fillets, tripe, yellow throats, duck intestines, etc., to diverse vegetables such as cabbages, bean sprouts, potatoes, lotus root slices, fungus, shiitake mushrooms, as well as soybean products and specialties such as soybean skins, dried soybeans, and duck’s blood, we can offer a wide range of ingredients, which will satisfy the taste needs of different diners.
Fresh ingredients:
Chongqing hot pot pays great attention to the freshness of the ingredients, especially some of the main fresh food hot pot restaurant, will purchase fresh ingredients every day, to ensure that diners can taste the original flavor and tender texture of the ingredients. For example, ingredients such as tripe and duck intestines are only fresh to present a crispy and tender texture.
Diverse seasonings
The basic seasonings are abundant:
Using chili peppers, peppercorns, butter, Pixian Douban, Yongchuan Edamame, etc. as the main ingredients, together with ginger, garlic, salt, rock sugar, mash, yellow wine, monosodium glutamate (MSG), chicken seasoning, pepper and other condiments, we simmer together to produce a richly flavored pot base. The clever combination of these seasonings is the key to the unique flavor of Chongqing hot pot.
Dipping Seasoning Personalization:
In addition to the seasoning of the pot base, the dipping sauces of Chongqing hot pot are also very rich and varied, and the common ones are sesame oil dish, clear oil dish, dry oil dish, tea oil dish, egg white dish and so on. Diners can also add garlic, cilantro, chopped green onion, millet chili, oyster sauce, vinegar and other seasonings to the dipping sauces according to their own taste preferences, making their own unique dipping sauces and further enriching the taste.
Unique Cooking Methods
High temperature fast cooking:
The hot pot uses a high-temperature soup base to quickly cook the ingredients. This cooking method can maximize the retention of the original flavor and nutritional value of the ingredients, allowing the ingredients to absorb the flavor of the base in a short period of time, achieving the effect of both color and flavor. At the same time, it also makes the soup base of the hot pot continue to absorb the fresh flavor of the ingredients during the cooking process and become more concentrated.
Nine Palace Eating Style:
Nine Palace Grid Hot Pot is a special feature of Chongqing Hot Pot, a pot is divided into nine grids, each with a slightly different temperature and boiling degree, suitable for cooking different ingredients. For example, the highest temperature in the middle grid is suitable for cooking ingredients that require quick cooking, such as tripe and duck intestines; the moderate temperature in the four corners grid is suitable for cooking meat such as beef and mutton; and the lower temperature in the edges grid is suitable for cooking hardy ingredients such as potatoes, lotus root slices, duck blood, etc., which adds to the fun and professionalism of the hotpot.
Strong cultural atmosphere
Strong social attributes:
In Chongqing, eating hotpot is a very important way of socializing. Family, friends, colleagues and classmates often sit around and chat while eating hotpot, the atmosphere is warm and cordial, which not only enhances their feelings, but also gives people a strong sense of human warmth.
Cultural symbol:
Chongqing hot pot as a business card of Chongqing, has a deep cultural heritage, which represents the bold, warm and tolerant character traits of Chongqing people, but also an important part of Chongqing regional culture. This unique cultural atmosphere can be felt both in the streets and alleys of Chongqing and in Chongqing hotpot restaurants all over the country.