Hot Pot at Home

Many people have been asking me what I am eating and cooking over here. Honestly, I am eating a lot of the same types of foods I ate at home, just different brands. I have been trying to cook some food I find in the local grocery stores though. 

One of my first types of meals when we came to visit here in May was hot pot. Hot pot, or 'Chinese fondue', is cooking of food in a simmering pot of water that is typically seasoned. The pot is placed in the middle of the table and everybody cooks their own food within the same pot. 

Ryan and I at a hot pot restaurant in May

Typically food made in a hot pot includes green vegetables, mushrooms, balls of various meats, dumplings, thinly sliced meat and fish and noodles. 

Ryan and I usually get what is known as a 'ying yang pot' which means half of the pot is flavored mild and the other is flavored spicy. 

Ying Yang Hot Pot 

When I went grocery shopping for the first time, I found flavor packets for hot pots and picked up several to try. I then ventured into my first home made hot pot this past week when I had several things around that would be good to throw in. 

I started with a pot of boiling water and dissolved the base for a hot and spicy hot pot. 

 

I then prepared my ingredients to boil. I had bok choi, fish balls (fish meat formed into balls similar to meatballs, a common street food in Hong Kong), beef and chive dumplings and noodles. 

Ingredients ready to be cooked up

Hot pot all ready to go

Ingredients getting dumped in

It's a very simple thing to make at home and an easy way to use several ingredients in one meal. I hope to keep trying more dishes and local ingredients as I become braver in the grocery store. Until then, I will survive on instant noodles and spaghetti! 

We can't wait to have people visit to take them out and enjoy some hot pot with us!