China By Food Enthusiasts · 6 min read

National Dish China: Hot Pot (Recipe)

Simmering Chinese hot pot surrounded by plates of raw meat, vegetables and tofu

In this article

Gather everyone around the table and discover Hot Pot, China’s most sociable national dish! Known at home as huoguo, this simmering communal feast turns dinner into a shared adventure: a bubbling pot of fragrant broth sits at the centre while everyone dips, cooks and dunks their favourite morsels to their own liking. From fiery Sichuan chilli to gentle, aromatic stocks, there is a version for every palate. It is a meal to linger over for hours, mixing and matching as you go.

About Hot Pot

The Chinese Hot Pot, known as huoguo, is far more than a single dish; it is an experience that brings people together while still leaving room for personal taste. Think of it as a kind of fondue, where a variety of ingredients are dipped into one shared, simmering pot and cooked to perfection. Its enduring appeal lies in the sheer variety of ingredients and the rich, deeply flavoured broth that forms the heart of the whole affair. As a national dish it comes in countless regional guises, from spicy and bold to mild and aromatic. This is a meal you savour over hours, always finding new combinations to try.

Ingredients (serves 1–2)

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
200g thinly sliced meat (beef, lamb or chicken)
200g seafood of your choice
200g tofu, cut into cubes
300g mixed vegetables (e.g. mushrooms, leafy greens, lotus root)
100g glass noodles
Hot pot seasoning paste, to taste
Optional: dipping sauces

Shopping for the ingredients

For the most authentic ingredients, head to an Asian supermarket. When it comes to meat and seafood, always choose fresh produce or high-quality frozen options. For the broth you can also use a ready-made hot pot base as your foundation, available in a range of flavours. When it comes to vegetables, lean on seasonal varieties to guarantee freshness and plenty of variety on the table.

Preparing the dish

Cut the meat and vegetables into bite-sized pieces before the meal begins. To get the meat especially thin, pop it into the freezer briefly beforehand so it firms up and slices cleanly. Arrange everything on platters or in small bowls and set it out so that everyone around the table can help themselves with ease. A little prep up front keeps the cooking relaxed and the conversation flowing.

Step-by-step instructions

Bring the broth to the boil in a hot pot vessel or a deep, wide pan.
Stir the seasoning paste into the broth, then set the pot on a portable burner in the centre of the table.
Guests can now add their preferred ingredients to the simmering pot using small baskets or tongs, cooking each until just done.
Fish the cooked pieces into individual bowls or straight onto your plate, then finish with dipping sauces to taste.
To round things off, enjoy the rich, aromatic broth that has built up flavour from everything cooked within it.

Gluten-free / lactose-free version

Hot pot is naturally easy to make gluten-free and lactose-free. Choose a seasoning paste and dipping sauces that are free from wheat, and swap soy sauce for a gluten-free tamari so the dish suits anyone with a gluten intolerance. As the broth contains no dairy, the meal is already lactose-free in most versions — simply check any ready-made bases and pastes for hidden milk products. That way every guest can join in around the pot.

Tips for vegans and vegetarians

Hot pot adapts beautifully to a vegetarian or vegan table. Simply use a vegetable stock and load the pot with mushrooms, leafy greens, lotus root and tofu instead of meat and seafood. Take care when choosing a seasoning paste, as some contain fish or shellfish extracts; a clearly labelled plant-based base keeps things vegan. Fresh, seasonal vegetables are the key to a satisfying meat-free pot brimming with flavour.

More tips and tricks

To get the most out of a hot pot, it pays to cook the ingredients in stages rather than tipping everything in at once. This keeps the broth piping hot and lets you explore different flavours over a longer, more leisurely meal. Start with items that flavour the stock, such as mushrooms, and add quick-cooking pieces of meat or seafood towards the end so nothing turns tough.

Adapting the recipe to your taste

Hot pot is endlessly adaptable. You can vary the type of broth, the level of heat and the choice of main ingredients to suit exactly what you fancy. Vegetarians can stick to vegetables, mushrooms and tofu, while meat lovers can combine several different cuts in the same pot. Many tables even use a divided pot so a fiery Sichuan broth can simmer alongside a milder one, much like the layered chilli heat of Sichuan Boiled Fish.

Ingredient substitutions

If you cannot find a ready-made hot pot seasoning paste, you can build a base broth of your own with ginger, garlic, spring onions and soy sauce. Instead of glass noodles, rice noodles or udon work just as well and soak up the broth beautifully. Swap in whatever proteins you prefer — the same thin slices of meat that shine here also star in Dongpo Pork. Substitutions like these help you tailor the pot to what is in season or simply to your own taste.

Drink pairing ideas

Tea is the traditional partner for hot pot, but light beers and rice wine are popular companions too. Whatever you choose, the drinks should be refreshing to balance the warming, often spicy character of the meal. A cooling, lightly sweetened tea is especially welcome alongside a fierier broth, much as it would be with the bold flavours of Dan Dan Nudeln.

Serving and presentation ideas

Arrange the raw ingredients colourfully on large platters or in small individual bowls. This shows off the wonderful variety on offer and whets the appetite for the meal to come. The choice of tableware and chopsticks also adds to the aesthetic of the occasion, turning the meal into a real centrepiece. A neatly laid spread, with sauces and garnishes within easy reach, makes the whole experience feel generous and inviting.

A bit of history

The roots of the hot pot stretch back more than a thousand years. Originally from Mongolia, the idea of the one-pot meal travelled along the Silk Road into China, where it was embraced and refined over the centuries. Today the hot pot is found right across the country, each region adding its own local ingredients and broths. Its blend of communal warmth and regional variety makes it a wonderful window onto Chinese cuisine.

More recipe ideas

Summary: Hot Pot

The Chinese Hot Pot is a flexible, sociable and wonderfully flavourful dish that can be adapted to every taste imaginable. Whether as a warming meal in the depths of winter or an exotic centrepiece for your next celebration, a hot pot is always a special occasion. Gather your favourite ingredients, set the broth bubbling and let everyone cook their own way — this Chinese classic turns any gathering into a feast to remember.