It's still going to get cold at night. This is Taiyo Ichiba.
Today, I would like to dig deeper into hot pot.
Hot pot was featured in "Matsuko's Unknown World", and hot pot is still a popular item at stores in Chitose Funabashi and Kichijoji ! Hot pot is selling.
We asked Taiyo Market's staff from China about the authentic taste of the hot pot, including its style and soup.
Let's go on a hot pot trip!
\Introducing sauces, ingredients, and recipes for hot pot/
Click here for hot pot special feature
🔥Origin of hot pot🔥
(Maybe it's just me) I just assumed that it originated in Sichuan and then spread throughout the country .After asking people from various regions of China,
"No, it's been around for a long time." "It's been around in my area, too . "
The ``fire'' in hot pot may make you think of ``spicy,'' but in China, all Japanese hot pot dishes are called hot pot (warm hot pot dishes).
When we looked into the origin of the hot pot, we found that although the exact origin is unknown, the original version existed during the Zhou Dynasty (approximately 3000 years ago).
It spread to the private sector during the Song Dynasty (about 1000 years ago), so it has certainly been around for a long time...💦
🔥Hot pot style🔥
If you do some research, you'll find that there are roughly two types.
When I asked a staff member from China , he told me that there are two styles: ``Mongolian (Inner Mongolian) style (which also includes Beijing and the northeastern region)'' and ``Mala style (centered in Sichuan) .''
However, to be more specific, there seem to be different styles depending on the region.
There's no end to all of them, so I'll briefly tell you about the Mongolian type and the Malay type...
Mongolian cuisine is similar to the Japanese shabu-shabu style, where meat and vegetables are cooked in hot water, each person makes their own sauce, and enjoys dipping it in that sauce.
Mala-style soup is made by frying ginger, chili peppers, peppers, green onions, and other spices in oil to bring out the aroma, then adding chicken stock to the soup.
Shabu-shabu with meat and vegetables is the same as in Mongolia.
Isn't this the spicy type that many people imagine?
🔥Hot pot soup🔥
There may be a surprising number of people who have eaten it at a store but have never eaten it at home. You can make your own hot pot, and it's a lot of fun.
If you want to go the simplest way, stir-fry the Japanese pepper, minced garlic and ginger, and bean sauce in sesame oil to bring out the aroma, then add the chicken stock. You can also have fun adding bay leaves, cinnamon, jujubes, tree fruits, goji berries, chili peppers, etc. to your liking.
Pre-blended pastes are also very convenient when you don't have time but want to get the authentic fragrance. Hot pot soups , including submarine hot pot , are one of our main products.
🔥Ingredients for hot pot🔥
When I asked the staff, they said, "Anything is OK!"
In Japan, there is a high degree of freedom when it comes to cooking hotpots, so it's the same thing.
However, there are some basics, and when it comes to meat, thinly sliced lamb gives it a more authentic feel. Other fun options include pork belly, thinly sliced beef, and offals.
If you like something authentic, try duck blood.
Mushrooms are also a must-have item.
It tastes especially delicious with wood ear mushrooms.
Vegetables include bok choy, Chinese cabbage, green onions, coriander, etc.
Personally, I like celery.
Yuba and boiled dumplings also go well together. Boiled dumplings come in a variety of flavors, including fennel and celery, in addition to the usual meat filling, so we recommend that you enjoy those as well.
🔥Hot pot sauce🔥
I asked a staff member from the northeastern region of China about this as well.
“This is the basics in my area,” I was told.
・Red rotten milk (Hong Hulu)
・Zhu Hua Jiang
・Shima sauce (chima jang)
It seems that you can mix appropriate amounts and adjust the soup to your desired concentration.
I would like to talk passionately about the deliciousness of red milk on another occasion.
Juhua Jiang, as the name suggests, is chive flower sauce.
It has no flower shape and is a paste-like fermented seasoning.
In China, it is used in various dishes as a substitute for salt to add a deep and complex flavor. It looks delicious if you use a small amount for fried rice (sorry, I haven't tried it yet...💦)
Of course, I want to use it right away! For those who are interested, various sauces are also available.
Would you like to enjoy hot pot with a vivid aroma and complex flavor in the comfort of your own home?
Click here for hot pot special feature
🔥Easy with just water! Undersea hotpot🔥
If you want to eat authentic hot pot in an easy way... the submarine hot pot, which has been featured on TV a lot and has caused a huge boom in Taiyo Ichiba throughout Japan, is the place to go!
The number of stores is increasing one after another, and many people may have eaten at a store.
This is a great way to make hot pot without using a fire. The taste is also great.
Since there is no need for fire, you can take it with you to outdoor activities such as camping and mountain climbing.
Deep Sea Self-boiled hot pot (spicy beef) 380g ¥1,077 (tax included)
Haidokusai Self-boiled hot pot (beef tomato) 395g ¥1,077 (tax included)
Please enjoy authentic hot pot at home.