Shanxi Old-Fashioned Hot Pot

Shanxi Old-Fashioned Hot Pot

　　In the cold winter, one yearns for the warmth of hot pot. Amidst the lively bustle of Sichuan-style hot pot joints, home-loving folks still can’t forget the Shanxi Old-Fashioned Hot Pot, a tradition gradually fading with time.

　　 The origins of hot pot date back to earthenware tripods from ten thousand years ago. As they evolved from tripods into pots, driven by the demand for warm winter meals, they emerged and became an independent dish. Tripods with hollow feet were called "ge," and during the Western Zhou Dynasty, there were "ge with a mutilated slave guarding the door" and "warm tripods." These were used to place charcoal for cooking and keeping food warm, arguably representing the earliest prototypes of hot pot. During the Han Dynasty, there were bronze "dye cups," with an upper cup for holding food and a lower charcoal tray, believed to be ancient single-person mini hot pots for keeping food warm. In the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, "cong dou" (warming vessels) and compartmentalized "wu fu shu" (five-pot cooker) appeared. By the Tang Dynasty, ceramic warming pots were used for warming wine, tea, and food. The Song Dynasty saw the first appearance of hot pot rabbit meat dishes, known as "bo xia gong" (as recorded in *Shan Jia Qing Gong*). The Yuan Dynasty introduced lamb hot pot. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, warm meals were often called "hot pots," while dipped meals were referred to as "raw hot pots." As noted in *Qing Bai Lei Chao*, "There was always a small pot on the table, filled with broth, heated from below, with plates of sliced chicken, fish, lamb, and pork placed around. Guests would dip their own slices in to cook and eat, hence the name 'raw hot pot.'" On New Year’s Eve, the Qing emperors’ banquets featured a hot pot dish, while the Grand Banquet for Senior Citizens included raw hot pots. For example, at the 1796 Grand Banquet for Senior Citizens, 5,000 guests were seated, using a total of 1,550 hot pots (*Chinese Imperial Cuisine Through the Ages*), making it arguably the grandest hot pot banquet in Chinese history.

　　 The most commonly used hot pot at these banquets was the copper hot pot produced in Datong. "It had an upper and lower layer, with a red copper chimney in the middle for charcoal. When the broth boiled, one could cook slices of meat, chicken, and fish—all of which were exquisitely delicious" (*Feng Tian Tong Zhi*). Datong copper hot pots have been renowned since ancient times. *The Draft of Republican China's Collected Works* noted: "Although Datong isn’t a copper-mining region, its copper products have long been famous—affordable and high-quality, often exported to Outer Mongolia. The main goods included copper pots and kettles, especially the hot pots, which were the most popular. Since the opening of the Ping-Sui Railway, both domestic and foreign travelers loved to buy them as gifts, further boosting sales. As a result, the craft of copperworking became unmatched among local handicrafts." A complete Datong copper hot pot consists of six pieces and undergoes seven production steps. It is not only structurally sound but also beautifully designed, offering high artistic value. In 1973, Premier Zhou accompanied French President Georges Pompidou on a visit to Datong. During the meal, the president and his entourage praised the unique flavor and exquisite craftsmanship of the Datong hot pot. Thoughtful Premier Zhou gifted President Pompidou a copper hot pot engraved with "Nine Dragons Leaping at the Wall" upon his departure. Major global media covered the event, spreading its fame both domestically and abroad. Soon after, prestigious establishments such as Diaoyutai State Guesthouse began placing custom orders, sparking a craze for hot pot banquets. Copper hot pot lamb dishes also became a celebrated regional specialty.

　　 Another renowned variant is the Yaoxiang Hot Pot, which traditionally used sandy pots from Yicheng or Pingding. Ingredients such as meat and vegetables were first placed in the pot, followed by pouring in the broth, then bringing it to a boil before serving. This method was called "warm pot" in the Tang Dynasty, "hot pot" in the Qing Dynasty, and "gu dong tang" (antique soup) in the Song Dynasty. Su Shi’s *Qiu Chi Notes* documented its origin: "Mix all kinds of food and cook them together—this is called gu dong tang." Fan Chengda wrote a poem: "Felt-wrapped taro and creamy yak butter rival those of Shaocheng; earthy sweet potatoes sliced like jade surpass those of Nanjing. Blending the two into millet congee, this new method is our family’s gu dong tang." At the Duan family tomb in the Jinsan Tomb Museum in Jishan, southern Shanxi, a square brick was discovered that, when combined with another passed down in the Duan family, forms a complete "Guantong Yan Guo Tang" recipe—a method akin to today’s combination of simmering and dipping in hot pot. The author has personally visited the site three times, tasted the dish, and learned that it primarily used venison, but the broth recipe remains a closely guarded secret. Only an ancient painting depicting winter hot pot feasts in Shanxi taverns during the Northern Song Dynasty was shown. The Guantong Yan Guo Tang was once sold at Taiyuan’s famed Quanjin Guild Hall, and now a charcoal copper hot pot version has been reintroduced—the traditional Taiyuan style—where ingredients are layered, first boiled, then served, accompanied by a special wild mountain herb called "mama hua" spice, said to originate from the Northern Han Dynasty.

　　 In the past, eating hot pot in Shanxi’s rural communities was not common and mostly appeared during winter seasonal offerings. During the Spring Festival, when people visited relatives, sons-in-law would pay New Year calls to their parents-in-law on the second or third day of the Lunar New Year. The hosts typically welcomed them with a hot pot, symbolizing "togetherness and warmth." The hot pot ingredients needed to include both meat and vegetables, with some areas like ancient Jiangzhou offering up to ten varieties. If the ingredients were boiled and served directly in the pot, it was ideal to fill the pot to about three-quarters full—too much would cause spills, too little would seem sparse. Hot pot was also a main dish in Shanxi’s traditional banquet cuisine. For example, Taigu’s "Yi Pin Guo" (Single-Pot Dish) and "San Xian Pen" (Three-Delicacy Basin) in central Shanxi used different vessels than Datong’s copper hot pot—a flat-bottomed, round, lidded copper tin-plated basin. The San Xian Pen had three equal compartments interconnected, reminiscent of the Wei-Jin Dynasty’s "Wu Fu Shu." The three main dishes were placed in separate compartments, with the flavors mingling through the connected sections. A copper stand accompanied the basin, with a wine cup placed beneath, where wine could be lit and placed under the basin to simmer while eating—an indulgent practice of wealthy Shanxi merchants in the past.

　　 Today, hot pot is no longer a rarity. Among the younger generation, conversations often revolve solely around Sichuan or Chongqing styles. The Shanxi Old-Fashioned Hot Pot, which "inherits the charm of the Tang and Jin dynasties while pioneering refined culinary artistry," is gradually fading away. Thus, Shanxi Old-Fashioned Hot Pot must embrace the revival of its cultural roots, singing *Start All Over Again* as it moves forward with the times.